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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25892395">Fiery Tempers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexanderSpeedwagon/pseuds/AlexanderSpeedwagon'>AlexanderSpeedwagon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:15:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>88,638</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25892395</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexanderSpeedwagon/pseuds/AlexanderSpeedwagon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The night of Mel’s death, Yachiyo decides to break up the team. Her, Mifuyu, Momoko, and Tsuruno each go their own way. At least until Tsuruno reaches out to Momoko about what happened. Momoko had planned on respecting Yachiyo’s and Mifuyu’s wishes to remain separate after that battle, but there was something about the way Tsuruno acted the next day that made her not want to stay away...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Togame Momoko/Yui Tsuruno</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been a long night, and somehow an even longer morning. Momoko Togame had woken up with tears in her eyes, the loss of a dear friend still gnawing at her nonexistent soul with its vicious jaws. Mel was someone who was always looking on the bright side of things, someone who trusted in her team without reservation. Someone Momoko could look up to. And then last night, she turned into a witch. And they had to kill her. If not for that, maybe her passing would have been a little easier to manage. But no, Momoko just had to be right there to watch her friend’s Soul Gem darken and coalesce into a Grief Seed. It was Momoko who dealt the final blow. Yachiyo weakened her, but by the end of it, she was close to succumbing to the same thing that had taken Mel away from them. Momoko had convinced Mifuyu to hold her back. It was a bit selfish of her, but she regretted delivering the final blow. That huge sword that she always lugged around drove itself deep into the Witch’s body, scattering its essence to the four winds that howled in their ears that night.</p><p>Momoko’s phone rang, breaking her out of her miserable train of thought. Tsuruno. Momoko frowned at the three kana appearing on her screen. She didn’t want to answer it, but Tsuruno hadn’t been there last night. She probably didn’t know much about what happened. Nobody would have told her anything. Sadly, she knew Yachiyo and Mifuyu too well for that.</p><p>“Hello?” She called out, a slight groan in her voice. She was supposed to be in bed sick, at least that’s what she told her parents. Truthfully, she was unwilling and unable to face the world today. Not after what she learned about last night.<br/>
“Hey Momoko. It’s me…” Tsuruno’s voice over the phone said back in a low tone. She was missing her usual spunk. She knew something was up.<br/>
“Hey. Are you alright?” Momoko asked.<br/>
“No. Yachiyo texted me saying she was breaking up the team.”<br/>
“Oh… so she told you too, huh?”<br/>
“Yeah. She texted you, too? What happened?”<br/>
“Yeah. She texted me.” Momoko said. That was a lie, but even thinking about the truth right now was threatening to send tears streaming down her cheeks. Choking up over the phone wasn’t how she wanted to start her day. “I don’t know what happened.”<br/>
“Oh.” Was all Tsuruno said back.<br/>
“Are you okay?” Momoko asked.</p><p>A long pause, so long that Momoko pulled the phone away from her ear to make sure the call hadn’t dropped.</p><p>“I’m fine, yeah. I feel alright.” Tsuruno said, even through the phone it was pretty clear that she had a smile on her face. Momoko didn’t think about it too much.<br/>
“That’s good. Hey, are you going to school today?” Momoko asked.<br/>
“I’m not gonna let my perfect attendance record fail because of this. I’m getting dressed right now.”<br/>
“Great.” Momoko said, rubbing her temple with her free hand. “Think you can bring me my homework at some point later?”<br/>
“Huh? Yeah, sure.”<br/>
“Thanks.”<br/>
“No problem. That’s what friends are for, right?”</p><p>Friends? Yeah. They were friends, right? Momoko had to think about it for a lot longer than she thought she should have, but Tsuruno was right. They were friends.</p><p>“Right. I owe you one. When I’m feeling better I’ll pay you back.”<br/>
“Are you okay?” Tsuruno asked, and Momoko had no doubts Tsuruno’s gears were turning.<br/>
“Yeah. I’m fine.”<br/>
“Oh. I see...”<br/>
“See... see what?” Momoko asked.<br/>
“It makes sense now; why you’re so cranky and why you missed school and all...”<br/>
“...Because I’m sick?”<br/>
“You don’t have to tiptoe around it, Momoko - it’s alright if you’re... y’know...”<br/>
“If I’m what?”<br/>
“...On the rag.”<br/>
“Huh? What?.”<br/>
“You know, you don’t have to be so shy about it. We’re both girls, I go through it, too.”<br/>
“Tsuruno! I am not!” Momoko said a little louder, shocked at that was the conclusion she reached about Momoko’s health. Why is that her first thought?<br/>
“Okay. Well, I’ll visit later to drop that off, okay?”<br/>
“Okay. Thank you.”<br/>
“And… Momoko?” Tsuruno asked just as the other girl was preparing to hang up.<br/>
“What is it?” She asked.<br/>
“...” No response. Momoko’s chest tightened, instantly afraid of what Tsuruno would ask.</p><p>“Hey, Tsuruno?”<br/>
“It’s nothing. I’ll be there for six, okay?”<br/>
“Okay. Thanks, bye.”<br/>
“Bye.” Tsuruno’s voice was still pretty mellow when Momoko hung up the phone.</p><p>But what could she do about it? The truth would only bum her out more, and Momoko didn’t want to do that. She was a very happy, very energetic person by nature. Even hearing her in that melancholy state was more than just rare- it was downright concerning. Obviously, Yachiyo’s actions this morning had caused no small amount of concern in the girl’s mind, even the happiest of people would be pretty upset if her mentor suddenly cut ties.</p><p>Actually, that made sense. A person as happy at heart as Tsuruno would be even more devastated by her mentor cutting ties all of a sudden. Momoko didn’t want to become the fallback mentor, but right now, maybe that was what Tsuruno needed.</p><p>Being a Magical Girl was way more than fighting Witches with awesome magical powers. It was dangerous and scary. Tsuruno didn’t need to be aware of that. It would break her heart.</p><p>So Momoko closed her eyes, tossed her phone onto her nightstand, and cried. She had no idea how long she was laying there for. Long enough for her mother to walk into the room and check up on her. After quickly drying her eyes, Momoko explained the lie she had cooked up. It seemed good enough for her mother, so she quickly closed the door shut. Which only prompted more tears to stream down Momoko’s face.</p><p>She and Mel were friends. Why? Why was fate so cruel? Was that what was going to happen to everyone else as well? To her? Momoko didn’t want that. She only wanted this because of him. And she never even had gotten the chance to use her newfound courage. Even now, what good was it? She didn’t have the strength to face this. She did, after thinking about it for a moment. But she didn’t want to. It was easier to let everything affect her like this. It was the wrong course of action, she knew. Tsuruno was going to school, just like Yachiyo and Mifuyu more than likely were as well.</p><p>Instead of thinking about it, Momoko grabbed her phone, rolled onto her side, and pulled up a few music videos while cuddling with a stuffed animal. Hopefully that would ease the pain she felt.</p><p>--</p><p>Momoko sat down on a swing at the park near Mikazuki Villa. Twilight reigned over the sky, though the mood of both girls present was more melancholy than the non-commital nature of the air above them. They knew how they felt right now. And it was awful.</p><p>“Hey.” Tsuruno said, walking up to where Momoko sat. She was wearing her school uniform, backpack slung over one shoulder, a neutral look on her face. “I brought your homework.”<br/>
“Thanks.” Momoko said, picking her head up suddenly. She had gotten there a few minutes ago, and was pretty focused on nothing at all. Trying not to think about everything was tough.<br/>
“So did you hear from Yachiyo at all?” Tsuruno asked as she sat down on the adjacent swing. Momoko only shook her head. “Mifuyu?”</p><p>Another shake.</p><p>“What’s going on, Momoko?” Tsuruno asked, starting to swing gently, letting a faint smile appear on her face as she did. But a moment later, it was gone.<br/>
“Yachiyo’s… having a rough time with things right now. I think she just needs some space.” Momoko said. She hated lying to Tsuruno outright, so this was the best she could do to shift the discussion to something else.<br/>
“That’s why she’s shutting everyone else out?” Tsuruno asked, staring intently Momoko’s way. Momoko looked at her for a moment, tried to smile- failed- and looked down.<br/>
“Kind of, yeah. I’ve been out of it all day, too. I’m pretty sure we had a test today, but I couldn’t get out of bed until late this afternoon.” Momoko said, starting to swing idly by herself, letting her body slowly rock back and forth on the playground.<br/>
“Are you okay?” Tsuruno asked. At that, Momoko smiled, but still stared at the worn dirt underneath her. She was considerate almost to a fault sometimes.<br/>
“Yeah. I’m fine.” Momoko whispered. “I’m fine…”</p><p>A long moment of silence filled only by the creaking of the metal links in the swing, during which Tsuruno just looked at Momoko as they swung, a frown on her ever-happy face.</p><p>“Momoko…” Tsuruno said in barely a mutter this time.<br/>
“I’m fine, really.”<br/>
“You’re scaring me.” Tsuruno said back.<br/>
“Am I? How?” Momoko said a little louder, looking at her, but the moment she did, a wave of pain shot through her chest. Tsuruno’s face was red, bottom lip jutted out a bit. This was the closest to being genuinely sad that Momoko had ever seen her. And it hurt, especially since she needed Tsuruno to stay strong- and in the dark. This was making it hard for either to happen right now.<br/>
“I called Yachiyo this morning and she didn’t answer. I left three voicemails and eleven texts, and she still didn’t say anything to me. Mifuyu, too. Two calls, five texts… and now you’re…”<br/>
“I’m here, Tsuruno. I’ve always been there for you, haven’t I?”<br/>
“Yeah, but everybody’s…” Tsuruno stopped to… to sob? That made Momoko stare even more intently at her as she saw tears welling in the other’s eyes. This hurt more than anything else had before. The pain in her chest doubled, her own breath hitched, and she felt a flushness in her face that wasn’t there before. “Everybody’s blocking me out. You’re saying something’s wrong, but not what. Everybody’s hurting, and I don’t know why. I don’t want to lose you guys, too…”<br/>
“Tsuruno, I…”</p><p>Momoko stared at her for a long time, not realizing that at some point both of them had stopped swinging, simply sitting on the yellow seats beneath them, looking out to the other Magical Girl.</p><p>“I’m sorry. It’s just… things aren’t so great right now, and it’s gonna take some time before they get better.”<br/>
“Then let me help. I can be there for you. If Yachiyo and Mifuyu won’t, then I can. I have to…”<br/>
“Tsuruno… there’s something bothering you too, isn’t there?” Momoko asked, and the moment the last word left her lips, she knew she hit the nail on the head. Tsuruno slumped forward, nodding her head, the long hair of her side-tail cascading almost to the ground.<br/>
“Yeah… There’s always something bothering me.”<br/>
“Then let me help you.” Momoko said. “We… we can help each other, right?”<br/>
“Momoko…” Tsuruno said, looking up at her. She had an actual, real tear running down her cheek. Momoko didn’t even know she was capable of that. Suddenly, she stood up and closed the distance between them, standing in front of Momoko’s swing, looking down at her.</p><p>And before she knew what was happening, Tsuruno was crying into her shoulder, hugging her tightly. Momoko hugged back, letting a few tears of her own escape.</p><p>“I shouldn’t be the one crying. I should be the one helping you. I’m the Mightiest Magical Girl, I shouldn’t be crying. I’m sorry…” Tsuruno choked out as she started to stain Momoko’s clothed shoulder with tears. Momoko shook her head, finding her own eyes resting against Tsuruno’s shoulders doing much of the same.<br/>
“It’s fine. We’re here for each other, right?”<br/>
“I don’t want to stop being friends, Momoko. Not with Yachiyo, not with Mifuyu or Mel… not with you, either. Promise you won’t go anywhere?”<br/>
“If I do, chase me down like you always do.” Momoko said. Tsuruno nodded her head.<br/>
“Yeah… I’m good at that, aren’t I?” Tsuruno asked.</p><p>Momoko stood up without breaking the hug, the two of them standing there, silently letting the other cry on her shoulder. It was therapeutic, in a way, knowing that Tsuruno would be there for her. </p><p>Maybe some day she’d tell her what happened last night, but right now… Momoko wasn’t sure if she could do it. But she had to be there for her. Momoko thought she was perceptive, but if something had been bothering Tsuruno this badly and she was too blind to see it, then Tsuruno needed her just as much as Momoko needed Tsuruno right now. They’d be there for each other.</p><p>“Yeah, you are. Keep it up…”<br/>
“Right…”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the week that passed after that night, Momoko hadn’t actually seen Tsuruno that upset. They had seen each other every day at school, during which she had gone back to her usual upbeat self. It made Momoko happy to see, though perhaps for the wrong reasons. She still didn’t know about Mel’s death, or what happened to a Magical Girl after her Soul Gem went completely black. All she knew was that Tsuruno was holding something back, something that she wasn’t sharing with everyone. For someone to be so energetic and positive all the time only to do a complete reversal on that in a moment of weakness…</p><p>But the way she glided around Banbanzai on what was apparently a busy Saturday night, it was so happy, so upbeat… so beautiful… if Momoko was brave enough to go that far.</p><p>“How’s it hanging?” Tsuruno asked as she walked over to Momoko’s table. She was sitting there alone, just watching her friend wait tables. The two of them had made plans to hang out after the dinner rush, but a text from Tsuruno’s dad encouraged her to eat dinner there. His treat. It was nice of him, really, but Momoko had almost refused until Tsuruno seemed so excited about it that she felt like she had to.<br/>“It’s great.” She said. She was hunched forward over the menu with an empty cup of what used to be water clasped in between her hands. “Mind if I get another drink?”<br/>“Mhmm! Sure thing! Know what you want to eat yet?” Tsuruno asked, smiling down at her. It caught Momoko off-guard, somehow. Seeing her so energetic kept her mind flashing back to that night at the park.<br/>“Just the usual, I guess.” Momoko said. “You’ve brought me enough stuff from here that I think you know what I like.”<br/>“One fried rice and a new water, coming up!” She said, taking the cup the moment it was held out to her, and darting off.</p><p>“She didn’t even take the menu.” Momoko muttered, smiling to herself as she stared down at the intricate lettering of the restaurant’s menu.</p><p>Dinner was about as good as Momoko could expect. She ate slowly, watching as the crowd subsided, though really it was never that big to begin with. A few people sitting down and eating, never more than six tables full at one time. But people had come and gone while Momoko sat there. Eventually, she was the only diner still present. And then her waitress plopped herself in the seat across from her, leaning forward excitedly.</p><p>“So how was it?” Tsuruno asked.<br/>“It was pretty good. Thank you again.” Momoko said politely. If she gave her honest opinion that it was a perfectly average bowl of fried rice, Tsuruno would have been heartbroken. She had made that mistake too many times to repeat it now. Especially after what she saw back then.<br/>“Great! Glad you liked it!” Tsuruno said. “Got any plans tomorrow?”<br/>“Tomorrow? No… I don’t think so. Why?” Momoko asked.<br/>“Wanna sleep over here? Dad says it’s okay!”<br/>“Huh?”<br/>“Yeah, come on it’ll be fun! We can watch a movie and do each other’s hair and pop popcorn!” The way that Tsuruno leaned forward, smiled, and spoke loudly made it really hard for Momoko to refuse. So she nodded her head slowly, smiling back.<br/>“Alright. Is your dad okay with it?”<br/>“Yep yep!” Tsuruno said before standing up, taking Momoko’s plate. When she headed back to the kitchen, Momoko followed to see Tsuruno’s father standing over a sink, washing what remained of the dirty dishes from the dinner rush.</p><p>“She said yes!” Tsuruno said, and Momoko blushed a little, holding her hands in front of her chest, looking away.<br/>“That’s great honey. Why don’t you go and get your room straightened up a bit?” He asked, and Tsuruno blushed, nodding quickly.<br/>“Alright! Beeee right back!” She sang as she ran out the door to the kitchen, disappearing into the stairwell.</p><p>The moment the footsteps faded away, Tsuruno’s father stopped what he was doing, sighed intensely, and looked to Momoko.</p><p>“Yes?” She asked nervously when he didn’t start speaking.<br/>“You’re her friend, right?” The man asked. Momoko nodded.<br/>“Yeah, we’ve been friends for a while.”<br/>“Then I think you’re the only one I can rely on for this. She’s been acting differently lately.” Momoko gulped at that. She knew why, but it concerned things that were way too insane for the middle-aged man to believe. So she kept silent about it.<br/>“Differently? Different how?”<br/>“That’s what I’m not sure about. She used to go out with her friends almost every afternoon after school. Now she’s just been staying here. I was starting to think maybe she had gotten caught up with the wrong crowd or something, but being home every day without any trouble, it’s not that.” The man said. When Momoko kept her straight expression while she listened, he chucked and scratched the back of his head. “That was supposed to be a joke. I know you aren’t trouble.”<br/>“Oh, haha, yeah, no, I’m not trouble. I try not to be anyway.” Momoko said, chuckling back a little.<br/>“That’s good. I’ve seen you around, and I know she likes you, so you must understand just how serious this is, then. She worries about so much and she shouldn’t have to. She’s still a kid. Going out and getting into trouble should be normal.” <br/>“So you want me to get into trouble with her?” Momoko asked. When the man laughed again, Momoko smiled this time.<br/>“Yeah, something like that. I just want her to be happy, and recently she ain’t been as happy recently.”<br/>“So… don’t let her know that I told you this, but last week we met at the park one night. Her other friends just… decided to cut ties with her. And she… I let her cry on my shoulder about it for a while.”<br/>“Poor girl. At least she’s got you.” Tsuruno’s dad said. That only began to scratch the surface of what had happened, but she cared about Tsuruno enough to divulge that to her father. If she was going to do this, she’d need his help.<br/>“It was always the five of us, and then… well, now it’s just me left, I guess. But I’m here. I care about her, so I’m not going anywhere.”<br/>“I can’t thank you enough for looking after my little girl like that, Momoka.”<br/>“It’s Momoko.”<br/>“Huh?”</p><p>“I’m baaaaaaaaaack!” Tsuruno’s screams echoed in the little kitchen as she bound back down the stairs, crashing into the room just as unceremoniously as she always did. The hushed whispers concerning her were gone, replaced with louder speech directed at her directly. “And who’s Momoka?”<br/>“Huh?” Her father asked, a confused look on his face, pointing a finger at Momoko. “That’s her, right there. Momoka.”<br/>“No, that’s Momoko. Like Momo… Momo… Momocobra!” Tsuruno said, clenching a fist and pumping it once in front of her.<br/>“Oh, Momoko! Okay. She said her name was Momoka so I was confused.<br/>“Momo...cobra?” Momoko said softly. Oh, these two...<br/>“Anyway, we’re going!” Tsuruno said.<br/>“Alright you two, have fun. Don’t stay up too late.”<br/>“Today’s Saturday, there’s no school tomorrow!”<br/>“Alright, alright. We open at ten tomorrow, just make sure you don’t startle the lunch crowd again.” Tsuruno’s father said.<br/>“I’ll make sure of it!” Tsuruno said before walking over to grab at Momoko’s wrist. “Come on, Momoko, we’ve got stuff to do!”<br/>“W-we do?” She asked, waving at the man who had gone back to washing dishes even before the two girls left.</p><p>“Yep yep! Didn’t I say we’d be watching movies and doing each other’s hair?”<br/>“What did I get myself into?” Momoko muttered to herself as she tried her best to keep up with Tsuruno’s pace up the steps to their second story home.</p><p>“Aaaand, here we are!” Tsuruno said after dragging Momoko up the stairs and through a living room and hallway, arriving at a simple bedroom. A bed naturally sat in the far corner, a workdesk next to it, and a television set on the other end of the room, which was apparently already on the menu for some movie, waiting to be played. The room itself was pretty clean, though. A book and notepad lay open on the desk, a trash can in the corner that was overflowing with soda bottles that Momoko had the suspicion was pretty empty before. And a closet door to her right that looked ready to burst open at any moment. Momoko didn’t want to know what this place had looked like when she first got here for dinner.<br/>“And here we are.” Momoko agreed after taking that moment to look around. “So now what?”<br/>“Didn’t I already say now what? We’re gonna put this movie on and you’re gonna let me braid your hair!” Tsuruno said, leading Momoko to the middle of the room and playfully pressing down on both shoulders. Momoko sat obediently.<br/>“Do you even know how to braid hair? And what are we watching?”<br/>“I’m sure I can figure it out!” Tsuruno said. Momoko couldn’t help but chuckle a little at that.<br/>“Great.” She said sarcastically, but had a smile on her face regardless.</p><p>Tsuruno scrambled out of the door, and Momoko watched in even more confusion as she heard a few loud banging noises coming from just outside the door. When she returned, Tsuruno had a pair of brushes, a few pony tails, and a small handheld mirror… plus a few other goodies Momoko couldn’t immediately make out. There was some food packages or something? Candy? Momoko was definitely in over her head with this one.</p><p>“Soooo I got some stuff.” Tsuruno cried out, sitting down behind Momoko, already reaching for the scrunchie holding up her long blonde hair, pulling at it quickly. Momoko hadn’t expected the sudden tugging on her scalp, and yelped as she was pulled back a little. Luckily, she was able to retain her balance for the most part, but as her hair was undone, it flew everywhere, especially as Tsuruno tossed the scrunchie onto the ground next to her. Momoko looked to her side to see it after feeling just how free her hair was, but one look backwards at Tsuruno’s giggling face had her cracking a smile, too.<br/>“Just be gentle, okay?”<br/>“Don’t worry about me! I’ll take gooood care of you!” Tsuruno said, and Momoko blushed, looking forward as quick as she could. Had she meant it like that? Obviously Momoko had walked right into a comment like that, but did Tsuruno have to take it that far?<br/>“Th-thanks…” She muttered.</p><p>If Momoko thought her mortification was over with just that, then she was wrong. The movie that Tsuruno had picked was an American comedy from the 80’s called… What… no, Who Framed Roger Rabit, yeah. She had seen it before, and it was… chock full of innuendos.</p><p>“You know, Tsuruno, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were suggesting something here.” Momoko said, trying and failing to hold back a blush as she looked at the screen- which had just started the moment she said something. Of course Tsuruno had a remote.<br/>“What do you mean?” She asked.<br/>“Have you seen this movie before?” Momoko asked back, starting to feel the familiar- and weaker- tugs on her hair as Tsuruno ran a brush through it, hopefully straightening it out in an attempt to braid it.<br/>“Yeah, I love it!”<br/>“Really?”<br/>“Yeah!”<br/>“Your dad lets you watch this?”<br/>“Why wouldn’t he?” Tsuruno asked, the question making her excited tone shift into a confused one. “What’s the problem with it?”<br/>“Nothing, I guess. It is pretty funny.”<br/>“You’ve seen it, too?”<br/>“Yeah.” Momoko said. She would have nodded her head, but knew the risk in doing that all too well. “It just caught me off guard was all.”</p><p>The movie started, and immediately Momoko realized that something was a little different in how the two girls found humor in the flick. Upon the first few silly cartoon faces to appear on screen, Tsuruno bust out a laugh, a loud, hearty one that made Momoko wince with pain. As much as she wanted to make that stop, she didn’t. Tsuruno needed this.</p><p>“Do you think this outfit makes me look fat?” A voice that was definitely not Tsuruno’s and definitely didn’t belong to anybody on the television screen flew into Momoko’s ears. As much as she wanted to look towards the doorway to see what was up, she didn’t want to disrupt Tsuruno’s hair-braiding. So instead she just… tilted her head a little, and shifted her eyes as much as she could… just in time to see Tsuruno’s father wearing an apron several sizes too large for him, with what had to be many other pieces of cloth shoved inside so as to make him appear to have a much larger gut than he normally did. It was enough to make her chuckle a little, but it wasn’t as funny to her as it clearly was to Tsuruno.<br/>“No, you look great. Are we having dessert?” Tsuruno asked after her laughter had died down. “Cause I think you need to put a liiiiittle more meat on them bones, dad!”<br/>“You two want some cake? We do have that one from two days ago that we never finished.” The man said jovially.<br/>“Yeah! Can we?” Tsuruno asked.<br/>“I’ll bring it up for you, hang on.” He said before turning around and walking away.<br/>“You dad’s a sweetheart, isn’t he?”<br/>“Ooooh, yeah. He’s great. I couldn’t ask for a better dad.” Tsuruno said. Momoko thought that to be oddly insightful for her, but didn’t comment on it.</p><p>A moment after the man left on his quest for cake, Jessica- the one animated human in the film- appeared on screen for the first time. Momoko was… more attentive than she thought she should have been. And the jokes that she laughed at- come on, who doesn’t think her booby trap was funny- went way over Tsuruno’s head.</p><p>“What just happened?” She asked, peeking over the side of Momoko’s head, resting her chin on the blonde’s shoulder to get a closer look. Momoko looked away, trying to figure out a way to answer that.<br/>“Well, you know… do you know what a booby trap is?”<br/>“Yeah, it’s when you hide a trap for somebody who’s trying to take something of yours that’s really valuable.” Tsuruno said, and Momoko nodded, hating how on the nose she was with it without actually understanding it at all.<br/>“Right. And look at where it was.”<br/>“Under her clothes?” Tsuruno asked. Momoko almost face-palmed.<br/>“Never mind. It’s funny, I swear.”<br/>“Oooo...kay?” Tsuruno asked, going back to her hair. Momoko quickly saw an opportunity to change the topic in that moment, offering a new discussion topic.</p><p>“How’s it going back there?” She asked.<br/>“I’m trying. I’ve never braided hair before so I don’t really know what I’m doing. But I think it looks good?” Tsuruno called back.<br/>“It looks great, I think.” A third voice called out. Once more, Tsuruno’s father had appeared as silent as could be. And again, Momoko didn’t dare think to look to the side. “Alright, three plates of cake. One for you…”</p><p>As that was said, a solid white ceramic plate was thrust upon her lap, on it a fork and a piece of what looked to be the most delicious chocolate cake Momoko had ever seen. It looked moist, and the frosting had little chocolate chips in it… if not for her Magical Girl body she would have been very tempted to refuse.</p><p>“And you.”<br/>“Thanks dad!” Came two voices behind her.<br/>“And one for me. I promis I didn’t poison it this time!” He said, laughing.<br/>“This time?” Momoko asked, assuming that if Tsuruno had taken the plate from her father that she would have tied her hair off some kind of way. But she didn’t… feel her do it? Check later, cake first.<br/>“It wasn’t actually poisoned last time.” He said, Momoko raised a concerned eyebrow, and with another laugh he was explaining himself. “Tsuruno got sick a couple days after eating it, so she’s always said that cake was poisoned.”<br/>“Oh.” Momoko said, laughing nervously along with him. Wow, this man was something.<br/>“Itolly wash! I don’ ebu get shick!” Tsuruno said with a mouth full of cake, the words almost too bungled to understand. But as hard as it was to understand the words coming out of Tsuruno’s mouth, Momoko laughed all the same in understanding.<br/>“Sure, sure! Blame the cake, Tsuruno!” Momoko said, looking down at the dessert long enough to slice a piece off with her fork, quickly shoving it inside her mouth with a <br/>“Hmph!” Tsuruno huffed in response. “At least I did your hair right.”<br/>“I don’t know what that has to do with anything.” Momoko said, smiling a little wider and shaking her head.<br/>“It means that I have to be right about the last cake!”<br/>“Does it?”<br/>“Sure it does!” Tsuruno said, pointing a fork at Momoko now. Despite all Tsuruno’s complaints about her father’s previous dessert-making endeavors, she was still eating it, if the moist, streaked chocolate on the end of her fork prongs were any indication, and if not, her chewing had almost been distracting while she wasn’t talking.</p><p>“Anyway, can I take a look at my hair?” Momoko asked, knowing that would distract her.<br/>“Yep yep! Come on, that’s what the mirror is for!” Tsuruno said, standing up and offering Momoko a hand. She took it and was pulled up almost violently, an excited look on her face.</p><p>Momoko had never really taken much time to think about what it might look like back there. There had been no small amount of tugging with the brush, but after that had been put down initially, she had only felt a lot of moving around of her hair. Had Tsuruno even tied it off any kind of way?</p><p>Apparently not. When Momoko got to the bathroom and turned around to face the mirror, her hair was just as long and straight as it had always been.</p><p>“Tsuruno, you do know you have to put a tie at the bottom of that, right? Otherwise it’s all gonna fall out.” Momoko said, dismayed that Tsuruno might be disappointed, but otherwise almost relieved that nothing serious had happened.<br/>“Huh. Yeah, I forgot about that. Next time, though!” She said, pumping her fist, and with the other grabbing ahold of Momoko’s wrist, whisking them back to the bedroom just as quickly as they had left it.</p><p>So this was what hanging out with Tsuruno along was like, huh? It was crazy, it was back and forth and brimming with constant excitement. It was insane, nonsensical… and it was fun. Momoko had never really had much one on one time with the Mightiest Magical Girl, but now she was enjoying herself. As Momoko went back to sit down in between Tsuruno and her father, picking her plate back up for another bite, she really realized just how much fun she was having.</p><p>And after what had happened last week, they both needed some enjoyment.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been two days since Momoko’s impromptu, exhausting sleepover with Tsuruno. Her rampant energy proved to be a little too contagious for Momoko to keep up with. She had tried to, but had ultimately passed out somewhere in the middle of showing Tsuruno how to actually braid hair and letting the girl try to do it again. The next morning was a bustle of activity, too. As much as Momoko had offered to help in the kitchen for the lunch rush that they had pretty much slept until, Tsuruno’s father denied her, claiming that he owed her too much to ask that of her.</p><p>School the morning after seemed to be a little better. It was easier facing the world every day after that little talk in the park, but their sleepover had done wonders for Momoko’s overall energy level. The girl’s happiness was infectious. It was one of the things Momoko had always liked about her, and so would be a big help for her- especially if they were going to be friends going forward.</p><p>“Momoko!” Tsuruno ran into Momoko’s classroom, leaning both hands against the door frame. If she had been any other girl who had ran full tilt down two hallways and a flight of stairs, she would have been panting for breath. But not Tsuruno. She had that same infectious smile that she always had, and this time, Momoko couldn’t help but look at her, standing up the moment she came into view. It was lunch time, and her classmates still in the room had all but stopped what they were doing when the one word was screamed out.<br/>“What is it?” She asked, pulling her earbuds out of her head and dropping them next to her phone on the desk. If Tsuruno were any other girl, she would have been concerned that something bad had happened. Like a Witch appearing on the school grounds, or a fellow Magical Girl found seriously injured. But with Tsuruno, this could have been anything.<br/>“Let’s go eat lunch together!” She shouted. Momoko couldn’t help but chuckle at her before nodding, grabbing her bento- which was only missing a single piece of her sushi roll thus far- and walking towards her.</p><p>Before she could even get out the door, Tsuruno grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward again. This was becoming a regular occurrence, but it was Tsuruno, so Momoko really couldn’t blame her.</p><p>“Where are we going?” Momoko asked loudly in the middle of their running- which they definitely weren’t supposed to be doing in the hallways, by the way.<br/>“To the roof!” Tsuruno shouted back. Of course they’d be going to the roof. Why wouldn’t they be?</p><p>Up more stairs, through a rather thick steel door, bursting out onto the class building’s roof with the sun shining down on them immediately. Momoko didn’t have time to take in just how beautiful the day was until she was sitting next to Tsuruno on the ground. Both of them were cross legged, lunch in their laps, backs against the fence that prevented anyone or anything from toppling off the edge.</p><p>It really was beautiful out here. The sun was shining, the wind was softly blowing, and most importantly, Momoko had a good friend with her. Actually… in the week and a half since Mel’s death, Tsuruno had probably become her best friend. As Momoko looked over at her and they shared a smile, she couldn’t say that she minded all that much.</p><p>“Any reason you dragged me up here?” Momoko asked. Tsuruno shook her head.<br/>“Nope. I just wanted to hang out.”<br/>“Oh, alright.” Momoko said, smiling<br/>“Yeah.” Tsuruno’s reply had been a bit softer than their previous exchange as they settled in for a moment of silence- mostly so that Tsuruno could grab her own meal</p><p>“How is that?” Momoko asked, looking down at her food once she pulled it out and unwrapped it. A platter of yakisoba that looked like it was straight from Banbanzai. She should have guessed, really.<br/>“My soba? It’s great! Want to try some?” Tsuruno asked, quickly holding the bento up and moving it towards Momoko’s face until it was almost right under her nose. Momoko looked down at it and smelled it. Mmm… about as good as any Banbanzai dish could hope to smell.<br/>“Uhh, sure.” Momoko said. Even if she wasn’t as thrilled about it as Tsuruno was, she’d be polite. Besides, she’d come to like the food her father made after all those delivery carts Tsuruno hauled over to Mikazuki Villa.<br/>“Great! Cause your roll looks delish!” Tsuruno said.</p><p>Before Momoko could react, Tsuruno darted her chop sticks towards Momoko’s plate, expertly nabbing one of the rolls and tossing it into her mouth. Momoko looked at her with her jaw hanging open as Tsuruno chewed.</p><p>“What?” Tsuruno asked with the half-eaten roll still in her mouth. Momoko could only smile and shake her head, looking down at the noodles offered to her in exchange.<br/>“It’s nothing.” That was adorable flashed through Momoko’s mind, though she wasn’t sure why. But after thinking about it… okay yeah, maybe that was a little cute- if presumptuous. </p><p>So Momoko took her own chop sticks and slurped up a bite of Tsuruno’s noodles, the bowl still underneath her head. Tsuruno watched with no small amount of glee as her own meal went down her friend’s throat.</p><p>“So? How was it?” She asked the moment Momoko had fully swallowed.<br/>“Good, great, actually.” It was spicy. Like, really spicy. So much so that she wanted to cough immediately. But Momoko didn’t want to hurt her feelings- especially these days. Besides… after seeing what Tsuruno was like when she was sad, Momoko never wanted her to feel like that again.<br/>“Yours was pretty good, too. But I think it could have been a little spicier.” Tsuruno said, looking at Momoko, holding her own dish up closer to her mouth now.<br/>“Not everybody can handle spice as much as you can, Tsuruno.” Momoko said, now letting that cough fly. A mouth on fire was hardly a secret one could easily keep, but hopefully her own food could help with that. Especially since Momoko hadn’t had a chance to grab her water bottle before she was whisked away by a certain eccentric restaurant heiress. Another cough begged to surface, but this one  was quickly suppressed by willpower and another bite of sushi roll.</p><p>“Yeah, but you can.” Tsuruno said. “Obviously you’re handling that bite pretty well.”<br/>“Thanks.” Momoko said, her voice a little gravelly in that moment, trying to not vocally complain about it. This was getting harder and harder by the minute. Another roll hastily tossed in her mouth and chewed. Alright, it was starting to settle down a little now. This felt nice.<br/>“So anyway, got any plans today?” Tsuruno asked.<br/>“Not really. I’ve kind of been procrastinating on my usual patrols. Ever since… you know… I haven’t been out there since.” Momoko said, speaking a little quieter.<br/>“Huh? So you wanna go hunting? Dad said any time you wanted to hang out I could go!” Tsuruno said, obviously not picking up on Momoko’s slight downturn in mood. But hearing that made her perk up a little.<br/>“Hang on... You still want to go hunting with me?” Momoko asked, looking back up at her. Another roll was quickly ingested while Tsuruno spoke.<br/>“Why not? We did work together pretty well, didn’t we? So what, we’re three girls short? Still need those Grief Seeds to charge our magic, right?” </p><p>And to not die… Momoko thought, but she wasn’t going to say that out loud. That was a secret she’d keep for as long as she could. Instead, she just nodded and spoke, even though she had a half-chewed bite of roll in her mouth.</p><p>“Yeah, I guess so.” Momoko said, her tone lowering a bit.<br/>“So today?” Tsuruno asked back without changing her tune at all.<br/>“Sure, why not?” Momoko said, smiling a little despite the somber tone in her voice.<br/>“Great!” Tsuruno said loudly, and at the same time, Momoko felt both of the other girl’s arms wrap tightly around her shoulders. One look to her right and Tsuruno was laying her head in the crook of her neck. Momoko could only shake her head and reciprocate the hug with one arm. Her other was still holding her lunch, but Tsuruno had haphazardly left her own on her lap, where it was threatening to fall off. <br/>“Yeah. It’ll be fun.” Momoko said while trying to save the other’s lunch from falling. Luckily, it was mostly empty.<br/>“Yep yep! Fun, fun!” Tsuruno said, looking at her.</p><p>They locked eyes for a long moment, during which both girls smiled widely. Damn, that smile was so infectious… she looked so happy. Momoko wanted to keep that smile plastered on her face for as long as she could. If such a thing was even remotely possible, Momoko would try. On top of being pretty fun to go out and hunt Witches with Tsuruno again, it would help protect that smile.</p><p>“Momoko?” Tsuruno asked in a volume much lower than her usual voice.<br/>“Yeah?”<br/>“Let’s stay friends forever.” Tsuruno said.</p><p>Until we both die… Momoko thought, and before her smile faded, she pushed the thought away and nodded, forcing the edges of her mouth to curl upward even more intensely.</p><p>“Yeah. Forever, okay?”<br/>“Okay!”</p><p>At that moment, the school bell rang, signaling the end of their lunch hour.</p><p>“Let’s get going.” Momoko said. Standing up out of the embrace that neither had ended was difficult, but it needed to be done. As much as she knew she wanted to keep Tsuruno safe as long as possible, keeping her here instead of in her classroom wasn’t accomplishing anything.<br/>“See you after class!” Tsuruno said back, leading her towards the door back down into the school building.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>With the promise of going out on the town with Tsuruno in order to fight the ghosts of former Magical Girls to the death, time was moving slowly for Momoko. Even though the end of lunch had signaled the end of the longer half of the day for the average high school, time slowed to a crawl. When it came at last, the final bell couldn’t have come quicker. As soon as the blonde heard it, she slammed closed her notebook, tossed everything into her bag, and even though she sat closer to the window-side of the room, was among the first out the door. Already, she was headed for the stairs that led to the third floor, to where her friend’s classroom was. Luckily for her, Tsuruno met her at the base of the stairs.</p><p>“Ready?” She asked.<br/>“Ready.” Momoko replied, the infectious smile Tsuruno almost always wore had already found its way onto Momoko’s face even as she was heading towards where she knew her friend was coming from.<br/>“Then let’s goooo!” Tsuruno said. Once more, she grabbed Momoko’s wrist and pulled her towards the school’s exit.</p><p>And so they ran. They ran, and ran, and ran until they were a block or two away from the school, dropping into a nearby alleyway, backs against the brick wall. Looking at each other once- still smiling- Momoko started searching for nearby traces of magic.</p><p>“Anything?” Tsuruno asked after a moment.<br/>“Nothing yet. Gimme a sec.” Momoko replied. This wasn’t her job in their old team, anyway. That was Mel… but Mel was gone. And so was everyone else. So she had to do it.</p><p>…<br/>…</p><p>“Anything?” Tsuruno asked. Momoko sighed, shaking her head.<br/>“No. I’m not picking anything up. Let’s move. Let’s head east a little bit.”<br/>“You aren’t thinking of going into Chuo, are you?” Tsuruno asked when this time Momoko started to take the lead, walking at a brisk pace down the road- away from the afternoon sun.<br/>“I’d be crazy to bring us there, no. I just… don’t want to be on the Western end of town today.”<br/>“Because of Yachiyo?” Tsuruno asked. Momoko looked at her and silently nodded. At the end of the day, Tsuruno was always more perceptive than Momoko gave her credit for.<br/>“Yeah. Because of Yachiyo. I don’t want to have to worry about that.” And she didn’t want Tsuruno to have to meet face to face with the one person who she probably blamed for all this.</p><p>For a long time, Tsuruno didn’t say anything, they just walked in silence, the usually upbeat girl content with letting her friend set the pace for once. Momoko looked over at her after half a block’s walk, and she was staring at the ground, lost in thought. Momoko shoved her shoulder gently and took her hand in her own, holding it lightly as they started to cross the street.</p><p>“Hey.” Momoko said, putting an earnest smile on her face.<br/>“Hey.” Tsuruno said back, looking up at her, her face now as melancholy as it had ever been.<br/>“Come on, we’re gonna have a good time, right?” Momoko squeezed Tsuruno’s hand at that question, and Tsuruno squeezed back, a nod of her head accompanying that smile that Momoko had come to love.<br/>“Yeah we are!” Tsuruno said, her usual energy restored, picking up the pace a bit. Thanks to the hand holding, now Tsuruno was the one leading Momoko forward as she ran ahead of her, dragging the younger blonde along for the ride.</p><p>This is perfect. This is how it should be. Momoko thought. Staring at Tsuruno’s long brown hair trailing back, white back of her school uniform, that red skirt fluttering in the wind, their footsteps only barely desynched, and a wide, wide smile on Momoko’s face. At that moment, it was like nothing was wrong. It was just her and her friend having a good time, and nothing was going to come in the middle of that.</p><p>Tsuruno kept up that pace until the end of the next city block, at which point she stopped because of the red light at the crosswalk, standing next to Momoko. The two made eye contact, and Momoko’s heart soared once more.</p><p>“So where to now?” Tsuruno asked, handing the reins back to Momoko, who looked a bit surprised at it.<br/>“I thought you had picked up a sign of magic or something.” She said.<br/>“Nope. Just wanted to get some energy out.” Tsuruno said back, closing her eyes to emphasize her smile.<br/>“Gotcha. Well, let’s keep going this way. A few more blocks and…” Momoko said, but as she came to a realization, her voice got lower and lower until it trailed off completely. Momoko recognized this area. These buildings, that shop, even the way that street light up ahead didn’t hang perfectly level, but was instead a bit crooked. Tsuruno grunted once, confused, looking over at Momoko. One movement of her neck tilting her head to the side later and she opened her mouth.<br/>“A few more blocks and what?” Tsuruno asked.</p><p>Momoko squeezed her hand a bit. A few more blocks until we’re in Yachiyo’s neighborhood, that’s what. But Momoko wasn’t going to say that out loud. Instead, she intentionally raised her eyebrows an exaggerated amount, squeezed down on Tsuruno’s hand as hard as she could, and pointed off to her right.</p><p>“There!” She said loudly.<br/>“What?” Tsuruno repeated, her already high energy levels rising.<br/>“I sense something. Let’s go!” Momoko said. Keeping Tsuruno’s hand in her own, she crossed the street after looking both ways, making a mad dash in a different direction. Any other direction would do.</p><p>So long as Tsuruno didn’t see that old, worn-down boarding house that they had spent so much time in. So long as Momoko could keep her distracted like this, then she’d consider the day a success. Trying to head East directly from school was a terrible idea, as it turned out.</p><p>South was a better direction. Towards Minagi, towards Kamihama Bay, anywhere but towards Mikazuki Villa.</p><p>Momoko ran, this time keeping Tsuruno in tow, not giving her even a minute to think about where they were going. She could always lie and say that she had lost the trail and continue east that way, into Minagi Ward, away from Mikazuki Villa. Momoko would be lying if she said she wasn’t interested in avoiding that place for selfish reasons as well as selfless ones. Both she and Tsuruno didn’t need a run-in with Yachiyo right now.</p><p>“Where is it?” Tsuruno said, yelling as they continued down the road. Momoko squeezed Tsuruno’s hand harder and yelled back at her, an excited look on her face.<br/>“Just a little more and we should be there! It’s weak, but I-”</p><p>Momoko stopped mid-yell as darkness enveloped her, and her sense of gravity was distorted. A more guttural, primal yell came from her throat now as she shrieked in surprise, but a moment later, she flopped onto the ground. Ground that was soft, spongy, almost. Her hand sunk into it when she pushed herself up onto her knees. When she opened her eyes to look around, the first thing she noticed was Tsuruno collecting herself similarly, kneeling directly in front of her. Their surroundings were bleak at best. A mostly gray sky with a black sun setting over some imaginary horizon. The ground looked like a sponge just as much as it felt like one, though the normal yellow color was muted into a light grey, almost white tone.</p><p>“Well…” Momoko said, standing up slowly, one hand clenching her other wrist as she focused on the ring on her left middle finger, transforming into her Magical Girl outfit.<br/>“Well, you found it.” Tsuruno said, transforming a moment later. Truthfully speaking, Momoko hadn’t intended on finding this place, she was really just trying to distract the girl in front of her, but maybe her comically bad timing worked out for the best this time. One could hope, after all.</p><p>“Yeah. I found it. Hopefully we can find the Witch, soon.” Momoko said, brandishing her sword as she looked around. But there was… nothing. Nothing as far as the eye could see. No Familiars, no Witch, no sign of Magical Girl life other than the two that had just stumbled into the Labyrinth. Curse this timing of mine. Momoko thought, sneering down at the ground before looking up again.</p><p>And then the rumbling started. The ground started to shake softly, which was compounded by the consistency of the surface they were standing on. Sinking even lower into the sponge-floor, Momoko and Tsuruno looked down as the vibrations got more and more intense. What was once a soft rumbling deep below them was becoming a verifiable earthquake in all its deafening glory, as though the very earth itself was revolting against their presence here. </p><p>“What do we do?" Tsuruno asked, looking to Momoko, who only let the question surprise her for a moment. Yachiyo was always the leader, but Yachiyo wasn’t here now. Tsuruno was older and had more experience as a Magical Girl Out of the two of them, Momoko thought she should have been the one calling the shots. But Momoko didn’t bother fighting with her on that now. <br/>“Jump!” Momoko said with a sudden desperation in her voice, following after her command the very moment the words were out of her mouth.</p><p>And before Momoko got six feet off the ground, Tsuruno jumped, too. Right underneath where they had been standing, the ground broke, shooting large chunks of foam the size of boulders back up at them. Though they had only a fraction of the weight of such a rock, Momoko still felt a bit of pain when a particularly large one flew at her, hitting her hard. But she could stand on it for a moment due to it’s sheer velocity. And jump off of it, onto another. Tsuruno, it seemed, had befallen a similar fate.</p><p>“Are you alright?” Momoko asked, watching as Tsuruno stood up in the same moment that the blonde had hopped from her previous rock onto the one that had swept Tsuruno out of the air.<br/>“Yep.” She said just as Momoko peered over the edge, back down to the bleak ground. "Of course." Momoko said, cursing her bad luck for the umpteenth time that afternoon. The hole made by all that rumbling wasn't a natural phenomenon in the Labyrinth. It never was. Instead, there was a Witch several stories beneath her. At least, it had better be a Witch. Momoko wasn’t interested in any Grief Seed dropped by the Witch that spawned this Familiar.<br/>“Good, cause we got trouble!”</p><p>This Witch was just as ugly as the rest of them that Momoko had ever fought and slain. When Momoko looked down, all she saw was a gaping void of nothing as the wind roared around her, blocking out every sound other than the thumping of her own veins in her head. </p><p>And then one leg forced its way up through the crater of foam. A long, black, spindly thing, but it had enough strength to pull out another. This one set itself down next to the first leg. Momoko could really only think to call them ‘legs’ for lack of a better word for them. They weren’t segmented like spider legs, and they weren’t hairy like them either. Sleek, almost shining, smooth as could be, not even seeing the beast’s full form still sent shivers down Momoko’s spine, though.</p><p>This thing could actually kill both of us. We could actually die. Momoko thought, looking down at Tsuruno for a moment, who had stood up next to her, staring down into that abyss with her. Two hands gripped the sword that had guided her through battle after battle. One look at Tsuruno and Momoko knew one thing was certain: No matter what, she’d keep the girl safe.</p><p>“Ready?” Momoko said, raising her voice as much as she could to combat the wind. Their piece of squishy earth was still rising skyward, though the horizon was no more clear than when they were on the ground. Tsuruno nodded.<br/>“Ready!”<br/>“On the count of three, let’s-!” Momoko said, but before she could even count to ‘one,’ Tsuruno had jumped down. Momoko chuckled and shook her head before jumping off herself.</p><p>Tsuruno’s orange outfit and fiery fans fluttered in the wind as Momoko barrelled groundward with her. Her own hair whipped violently behind her, the green ribbon on the hilt of her sword flapped madly, whipping her wrists as though the weapon herself were eager to taste blood.</p><p>Momoko’s eyes widened when she saw the beast’s true form. Four legs now supported it on all sides of the crater it had made as it burrowed up to the surface, a mighty roar bellowing, blowing hot air up at them, slowing their descent, but not their conviction. Not even the griseous form of the Witch itself could do that.</p><p>It was a black cloud of… nothing. Clouds of smoke bellowed all around it, though a large mouth and two eyes- all three solid red circles on the formless shape of its torso. Its eyes closed, leaving just its mouth open. Teeth were visible now, large, intimidating, and glowing yellow. Momoko gulped. That thing could kill us. It had always been true, but Momoko had yet to fight knowing that little detail intimately.</p><p>“What’s the plan?” Tsuruno’s words cut through Momoko’s mind. The wind would have been too strong, and their bodies too far apart for their vocal chords to be much good for communicating. Tsuruno was right to choose telepathy.<br/>“Swing at it until it stops moving!” Momoko thought back, unable to come up with much of a better plan.<br/>“Roger, leader!” Tsuruno ‘said’ back to her.</p><p>And that was that.</p><p>Tsuruno and Momoko hit the ground running, both of them wielding their weapons with conviction as the beast swung a leg at them, but it was easily dodged by a jump that scaled its entire body. Tsuruno landed on the far side, while Momoko jumped in place.</p><p>“Great idea!” Momoko’s mind said. “Let’s stay on opposite sides!”<br/>“You got it, boss!” Tsuruno said back.</p><p>The two fought in as much unison as they could while physically separated. Momoko kept these two legs distracted while Tsuruno dealt with the other two. They had figured out pretty quickly that it was sunk in the ground too far to be able to move around- and that they should kill it before it was able to get out properly. While it attacked Tsuruno, Momoko chopped away at it’s legs, finding its body to be just as corporeal as it looked. While it swung at Momoko, Tsuruno attacked in much the same fashion- though apparently you can burn smoke even if you can’t cut it with a blade.</p><p>“Let’s keep at it! We’re whittling it down!” Momoko said after blocking one swipe with her sword held out defensively in front of her, palm pressed flat against its side, pushing into the foam ground.</p><p>Momoko didn’t hear a reply in her head, but rather, two words shouted out above the chaos.</p><p>“FLAME WAAAALTZZZ!” </p><p>It was Tsuruno. Of course she’d try her strongest attack so soon into the fight. At least it did give her an edge, being that dramatic about it. She was a performer rivaled by few on the battlefield. Momoko looked up to see her jumping high above the Witch, flames wrapped around her in a giant wheel. And then she descended, fire rotating around her and cutting into the smoky center of their foe like an incorporeal chainsaw.</p><p>The Witch roared again, the wind blowing out of its mouth enough to force Momoko back again. </p><p>She stumbled, unable to keep her balance against the breath, and toppled backwards. When she stood up, Momoko was far enough away that Tsuruno would have to hold her own for a little while. Her lips went down into a frown, and fear filled her expression, a pain in her chest as her mind immediately went to the worst-case scenario.</p><p>“TSURUNO!” Momoko took off in a dead sprint after yelling the other’s name, hoping and praying she could get there in time. Don’t die, don’t die. Don’t you dare die on me!</p><p>Another roar, this one not blowing any wind at her, though. Tsuruno had been flipping over the Witch all while Momoko struggled to close the distance, but it seemed as though her help wasn’t needed.</p><p>With that last roar, the Witch lost its balance, slipping back into the hole in the ground it made bit by bit, one leg losing its grip on the gray ground at a time. When it fell in completely, a veritable torrent of solid black smoke flew into the air, heat exploding out, once more knocking Momoko off her feet. She lost sight of everything, the smoke surrounding her now.</p><p>Tsuruno… Please be alright…</p><p>When Momoko opened her eyes, she saw Tsuruno standing there on the edge of the crater.</p><p>Perfectly safe, with barely a scratch on her.</p><p>“Tsuruno!” Momoko got off her knees, left her sword laying there on the ground, not wanting the extra weight as she ran full tilt once more towards the battlefield. Tsuruno turned around just in time to see Momoko all but tackle her into a hug, holding her as tightly as she could.<br/>“Aaah!”<br/>“You’re okay…” Momoko said, feeling her chest tighten and blood rush to her face, already trying to blink back tears.<br/>“Yeah… I’m fine… I even got a Grief Seed, look.” Momoko said, lightly hugging her back with one hand. </p><p>When Momoko released the hug to pull back and look, instead of whatever she was supposed to be looking at, Momoko looked into Tsuruno’s eyes. Her lips twisted upwards, and Momoko… giggled. </p><p>“What’s so funny?” Tsuruno asked, her expression as confused as it had ever been.<br/>“Nothing, nothing. I’m just relieved.”<br/>“Oh, good.” Tsuruno said, starting to smile herself. “Anyway, look.” </p><p>It was indeed a Grief Seed. Black as the night sky and twice as menacing, there it was, floating right above Tsuruno’s palm like they always did. Holding it there in between their faces, Tsuruno didn’t try to release the hug Momoko was so intent on giving her. Eventually, the blonde did indeed take a step back and end the hug, but only because the Labyrinth was collapsing.</p><p>Momoko giggled again. Where were those coming from?</p><p>“We should get out of here.” She said, transforming back into her school uniform.<br/>“Yeah.” Tsuruno said in agreement, following suit before looking off to the side, pointing at the one bit of light separating itself from the world of gray nothingness around it. “Exit’s right there.”<br/>“Yeah. Let’s go.” Momoko said, grabbing Tsuruno’s hand. She let it rest in hers as they ran towards the portal back to Kamihama.</p><p>Only to see one Yachiyo Nanami standing there, right in front of the entrance to the Labyrinth the two schoolmates had just destroyed.</p><p>“Oh.” She said, turning around quickly, starting to walk off without another word.<br/>“Yachiyo! Wait!” Tsuruno cried out, extending an arm towards her and trying to run after her. Momoko’s hand squeezed around hers, pulling her back.</p><p>Yachiyo didn’t respond as she kept walking, picking up the pace at that yell. Tsuruno looked back to Momoko, a pained expression on her face.</p><p>‘Let me go! Please!’ Echoed in Momoko’s head, which she shook slowly, though it pained her so.</p><p>“Yachiyo! What did we do?” Tsuruno called back. At least if Yachiyo wasn’t going to walk away again, Tsuruno didn’t have to chase her yet.<br/>“I won’t let my wish kill you, too.” Yachiyo said back. She was a fair distance away now, and with the sounds of the city bustling around her, she almost had to yell to make her voice heard. “Good job back there, I’m sure you two did great.”<br/>“Yachiyo!” Tsuruno said, even louder, even more desperate now as Momoko held her in place, having to use both hands now. “Momoko, let me go!”</p><p>But no matter how much Tsuruno struggled, Momoko held tight… only to break free just as Yachiyo turned the corner. She took off in a sprint, and Momoko followed.</p><p>“Yachiyo!” Tsuruno called out, another sob in her voice, one that Momoko just hated to hear, but was now impossible to avoid. Damn this timing of hers!</p><p>Momoko rounded the corner just in time to see Tsuruno grab onto one of Yachiyo’s shoulders, but before she could tug on it to turn her around, it was thrown off the elder girl’s body violently.</p><p>“Yachiyo… please… why are you doing this?” Tsuruno’s voice had lost all the bravado, all the volume that it once had, now only a quivering mutter in its wake. Slowly, Momoko walked up behind the two of them, placing a hand on Tsuruno’s shoulder as she addressed their former friend.<br/>“I told you already. I wished to survive. That wish takes its toll on those closest to me, those I care about. I don’t want to see that happen to you, too.” Yachiyo’s voice was emotionless, speaking only what she knew to be fact, not showing even an ounce of pity. “I can’t go through that again. I’m sorry.”</p><p>Her voice cracked a little with those last words, but after speaking them, started walking without so much as looking back at her two former friends. Tsuruno let her go this time, turning her head to Momoko, already teary-eyed, speaking as best she could.</p><p>“What’s she talking about?”<br/>“I didn’t want to have to tell you, but I guess I have no choice now.” Momoko said with a sigh. She moved to sit down on the sidewalk, leaning against whatever building was unlucky enough to overhear the tragic tale Momoko would soon weave. She patted the concrete next to her, and Tsuruno sat, watching Yachiyo’s form get smaller and smaller in the setting sun.<br/>“Her wish? Her wish couldn’t kill me, right? That’s crazy, right?” Tsuruno asked, blinking away even more tears. Momoko wrapped an arm around Tsuruno’s body, gently guiding her head to rest on Momoko’s own shoulder. She let it happen without any issue, too mentally exhausted to fight anything anymore.<br/>“Less crazy than you’d think.” Momoko said, closing her eyes and looking down, trying to fight her own tears. “You deserve to know what happened that day. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner…”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What kind of good luck is this, Mel?” Yachiyo’s voice cried out over the deafening silence of a Kamihama night. Momoko stood by watching as Yachiyo was kneeling down in her simple summer gown, the only one of the four- no… the three of them now... to have transformed back into her casual clothes. Momoko still held her sword, its tip buried in the ground in front of her, leaning on it heavily, already blinking tears out of her eyes. “You said everything would be fine, that… that… oh no…”</p><p>Momoko couldn’t help but notice that Yachiyo made a realization of sorts. Thinking back to what Mel’s tarot had told her that morning, Momoko didn’t quite know what was wrong. Mel had said there would be good fortune for Yachiyo today. The three Magical Girls still left alive after the conflict all wore downcast expressions. Some luck that had been!</p><p>But Yachiyo took it a step further, clutching the second Grief Seed they had collected that night in her hands as though she were attempting to shatter it, to crush it in between her palms. But she did no such thing. Yachiyo only hung her head, audible sobs coming from the woman’s mouth. Momoko couldn’t help but tear up herself, and when Mifuyu let out a sob herself, she followed suit.</p><p>“We… we have to break up the team.” Yachiyo said, looking at Mifuyu first, then Momoko, sheer regret in her eyes. Mifuyu nodded in understanding, but Momoko only shook her head in denial.<br/>“No, we can’t. This is just… okay yeah, this really sucks, but we need each other.” Momoko said, wiping away a tear from her eye with one wrist.<br/>“That’s a lie. I need you. You don’t need me. That’s why we’re doing this. Don’t talk to me, don’t contact me at all, don’t come by Mikazuki Villa anymore.” Yachiyo said, the tears that had fallen were seemingly the last that Yachiyo was willing to cry for the deceased Fortune Teller.<br/>“Dammit Yachiyo, we’re friends, we need each other now more than ever!” Momoko said, stepping past her sword, clenching her fists to keep them from trembling.<br/>“If you stay with me I’ll only kill you, too!”<br/>“You didn’t kill Mel, it was that damned Witch!”<br/>“No, it was me. My wish did this. I killed her… and then I had to kill her again!”</p><p>There was a long moment of silence. Momoko’s heart was threatening to beat out of her throat, she could taste blood in the back of her mouth, chest tightening even further with every second that passed without a sound from their ‘Leader.’</p><p>“What do you mean… your wish?” When there was nothing but the chirping of cicadas filling the night air, Momoko had to break the silence. She didn't want to hear the answer to that question, but knew she had to. For closure, if nothing else. Yachiyo sighed at the question.<br/>“I wished to survive. I wished that I wouldn’t die young, that I’d live to see a long life. I see now how Kyubey intended on giving me that life. He took it from Mel. However many years we added onto my life tonight, I don’t need it. I don’t want it. So I’m done. Don’t come talk to me anymore.”</p><p>“Wait, wait…” Tsuruno Yui’s voice broke the grim air that Momoko had spent the last few moments building up. They were still sitting on that same sidewalk, listening to the story Momoko was telling her.<br/>“What?” Momoko asked, turning to look at Tsuruno confused. Had she missed something important? Tsuruno was a smart girl, she should be able to follow by now.<br/>“Does Yachiyo really sound like that in your head?” Tsuruno asked, wiping a tear away from her eyes to force a smile on her face. She was still breathing a bit heavily from her near-breakdown earlier, another one threatening to bubble up at the news she had just heard. Momoko had tried to keep Mel’s death a secret from Tsuruno, but it was too late now. </p><p>But she could appreciate what Tsuruno was trying to do, at least. So she smiled back, shrugging her shoulders.</p><p>“I mean…” Momoko paused to think about the impression she had been applying to Yachiyo’s voice to differentiate it from her own in the midst of her storytelling. Apparently, it hadn’t worked well enough for Tsuruno. “I guess?”<br/>“Alright.”<br/>“That was it?”<br/>“Yep yep!” Momoko couldn’t help but chuckle and roll her eyes at Tsuruno’s antics. Momoko had the sinking suspicion this wasn’t alright to her, but she was doing a good job of hiding that fact. <br/>“Alright, then.”</p><p>“Like hell are we gonna listen to that!” Momoko said, gripping Yachiyo’s shoulder roughly, shaking her a bit. “Are you out of your mind?”<br/>“Do you want to turn into a Witch, too?” Yachiyo asked, holding up that Grief Seed she had been clutching before. Tsuruno took one look at it, losing all her nerve in that moment.</p><p>It was a shape that Mel would absolutely hate. A small fire sat floating above the palm of Yachiyo’s hand, and above that, a book open to the last page. Mel’s story had been told, the tome depicting her life sent to the presses with the ending ripped out violently, the corner already starting to burn.</p><p>“I’m not about to sit around and let you do the same thing! If anything, we need each other now more than ever!”<br/>“You weren’t listening, then.” Yachiyo said, shrugging Momoko’s hand off her shoulder, transforming into her Magical Girl outfit once more. A few steps away, and she spoke again. “If you keep hanging around me, I will kill you. If you value your life, you’ll heed my words.”<br/>“Yachiyo, you-“ Momoko started, but Mifuyu cut her off.<br/>“Momoko! Please!”<br/>“I just…” Momoko said, looking over at her. If Momoko thought she looked like a mess right now, she had nothing on Mifuyu, who had been streaking silent tears throughout the whole conversation.</p><p>“You’ve done enough. We’re all hurting right now, and Yachiyo needs her space.” Mifuyu said. “Let her have it.”<br/>“What about you, then?”<br/>“We all have our own lives, don’t we? Let’s just go back to that for now.”<br/>“And forget about what just happened to Mel? And go on with our lives like nothin’s wrong? I don’t wanna become a witch!”<br/>“Nobody does. Let’s just take a few days to think about it, alright?”</p><p>“Aaaaaaaaand, lemme guess, you never heard back from her, huh?” Tsuruno asked.<br/>“You’re taking this surprisingly well.” Momoko said, nodding to answer her question. At that statement, Tsuruno frowned and looked out onto the street. The sun was starting to set, and the traffic was diminishing quickly.<br/>“I’m the Mightiest Magical Girl. I can’t cry…” Tsuruno said, but her feelings betrayed her words. As if prompted by the blonde, Tsuruno had a tear leaking out of her eye. Momoko reached up with the hand not wrapped around her shoulder to flick it away.<br/>“It’s okay to cry sometimes. It’s okay to be vulnerable for a little while.” Momoko said, and Tsuruno shook her head.<br/>“I have too much to think about to let myself be vulnerable. I’d never go back to normal.”<br/>“And what’s normal?”<br/>“I’m happy and energetic and everybody can count on me to cheer them up. That’s normal.”<br/>“Is that who you want to be?” Momoko asked.</p><p>Tsuruno nodded vigorously, wiping at her own eyes this time, smiling widely, and turning to face Momoko.</p><p>“Of course! If not, then I don’t think you’d want to be around me.” Tsuruno’s words bothered Momoko, but there was nothing to do about it. Especially not when the combination of reliving Mel’s death in her head and seeing Tsuruno almost cry made her own tears appear. One in each eye, quickly streaming down her face.</p><p>The two girls held eye contact for a long while, and this time it was Momoko who was trying not to cry. Tsuruno smiled at her, letting her own tears flow once again.</p><p>“I just wish I could have done something…” Momoko said, her voice dropping in volume. She leaned her head forward, a motion that Tsuruno matched, resting their foreheads against one another.<br/>“I wasn’t there, and I wish I could have, too. We didn’t know about any of this, right? How could we have?” Tsuruno asked. Momoko chuckled a little, moving one hand up to caress the girl’s cheek.<br/>“I’m supposed to be the one taking care of you here, what happened to that, huh?”</p><p>Tsuruno let out a little chuckle of her own. Ah, there it was, the smile that Momoko had come to love. The one that she wanted to protect, the one piece of the universe that Momoko knew would never fade away fully. And Momoko would make sure of that. She’d protect that smile.</p><p>“You looked like you needed some help. Friendship goes both ways, Momoko.” Tsuruno said, lowering her voice to match Momoko’s. Impressive.<br/>“Thanks for being my friend, Tsuruno.”<br/>“No…” Tsuruno said, moving to place one of her hands on Momoko’s shoulders, gripping it tightly. “Thank you.”</p><p>They sat like that for a long while, not moving. Tsuruno’s presence, her touch, her breath as it left her nostrils was a catharsis Momoko had never expected from her boisterous friend. Traffic bustled around them still, the occasional pedestrian having to walk around them, footsteps echoing off the pavement, and yet Tsuruno’s breath was the one thing that Momoko was focused on. As time passed, she found her sorrow fading, that tightness in her chest replaced with a warmth that only Tsuruno could have provided in that moment. Momoko closed her eyes.</p><p>And when she opened them, it was dark out. The sun had finished its journey across the sky, the moon taking its place, though it still hung low. Momoko didn’t know how long they had been sitting there for, but she knew that she had loved every moment of it. Having someone to rely on like that… just made everything hurt a little less.</p><p>“Hey you.” Momoko said, pulling away from the embrace enough to get a good look at Tsuruno’s features. When she did, the first thing she saw was that smile- that lovely, beautiful smile that deserved to be plastered on her face every minute of every day. It made Momoko break out into a huge grin, as well.<br/>“Sup?”<br/>“So, it’s kinda late, isn’t it? Apologize to your dad for me. I didn’t think we’d be this long.” <br/>“Actually, I’ll do you one better.”<br/>“Shoot.”<br/>“Wanna come sleep over again? You can apologize yourself.” What Tsuruno wasn’t sharing was that her dad would have been more than okay with all this, especially since she’d come back safe and sound.</p><p>Momoko raised an eyebrow at the idea. Spending more time with Tsuruno? Obviously, she was interested.</p><p>“Sure.” Momoko said.<br/>“And on the way, wanna tell the rest of that story?” Tsuruno asked.<br/>“Do you really want to get upset again? It’s not a pleasant tale.” Momoko said, standing up and offering Tsuruno a hand. When she took it, Momoko thought she might have only been expecting to get pulled to her feet with it, but when they were both on solid ground again, Momoko kept it in her hand, starting to walk towards Banbanzai. Luckily, it wasn’t particularly far away.<br/>“No, I don’t want to.” Tsuruno said, shaking her head, eyes closed, frowning again- which caused Momoko to frown once more. “But I think I need to. I already miss Mel.”<br/>“Yeah, me too.” Momoko said. “But I think that was pretty much it.”<br/>“It was?”<br/>“Mhmm. After that I just went home, and the day after, you know… that was when we met at the park.”</p><p>The park. That place that Momoko had seen Tsuruno vulnerable for the first time, where she had seen her shed tears for the first time. As much as Momoko had hoped it might have been the last time, Tsuruno took the news of Mel’s death surprisingly well. At least…</p><p>“Hey…” Momoko asked softly. Tsuruno had a neutral expression on her face again, bottom lip quivering a bit.<br/>“Y-yeah…” Tsuruno asked, slowing down her pace just a little bit.<br/>“You okay?” Momoko asked. Tsuruno shook her head from side to side, and Momoko stopped again to wrap her arms around her for a hug.</p><p>“I just miss her…” Tsuruno said. It was the last thing she’d say before burying her face in the crook of Momoko’s neck, crying loudly. They didn’t care who might have heard, who would be around to witness it. Momoko knew Tsuruno needed this. Her own tears had told her that she did, too. Getting over the death of a friend was not an easy task, and Momoko knew Tsuruno was asking too much of herself by pressing on making jokes and sitting there silently.</p><p>Tears needed to be shed. Momoko knew now that Tsuruno couldn’t keep up the energetic positivity without any kind of reinforcement. This wasn’t the Tsuruno that Momoko knew she wanted to be- that she liked being. Crying didn't fit her. So while she held Tsuruno tightly, Momoko vowed to ensure that she would let her be that happy, upbeat person that Momoko knew her to love being.</p><p>And nothing would get in the way of that.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Alright!” Tsuruno yelled as she barged into her room. Momoko had gotten used to the place after her last visit, but the main thing she noticed was just how… messy… it was. It had barely been a few days since Momoko’s sleepover here. The first time she had seen Tsuruno’s home past the restaurant on the bottom floor. That time, it had been spotless. Though now, it seemed as though Tsuruno had lost all care to actually pick up after herself.</p><p>Or, as Momoko thought a moment after Tsuruno slammed the door shut and hopped onto her bed, that last time had been an expected event and gave Tsuruno ample time to clean up after herself. The fact that things were this bad right now were just… far more telling about Tsuruno’s character than Momoko had expected to see from this angle.</p><p>That same trash can sat in the corner, though this time it was overflowing with soda bottles, energy drinks, and a few candy wrappers. The floor was a mess of clothes, notebooks, textbooks, a game controller not plugged in, and none of the carpet was visible. Things were piled around so haphazardly that the floor Momoko, Tsuruno, and her father had sat on watching movies last time was hidden from view.</p><p>Momoko shook her head, starting to bend over to grab at a black shirt, hoping to find some kind of laundry basket in her bathroom.</p><p>“Hey, what are you doing? Get over here!” Tsuruno’s voice rang out over the television that had been turned on a moment ago. When Momoko looked up, she saw Tsuruno sitting on the bed, an excited smile on her face, and a twinkle in her eye that was pretty much impossible for Momoko to ignore. She had also taken to bouncing up and down softly on the mattress, bangs swaying side to side as she tilted her head just slightly enough to shift the hair. Momoko sighed and smiled, standing up as she let the shirt drop back onto the floor.<br/>“Alright, alright.” Momoko said. As she walked over, she couldn’t help but look over at the television on the opposite corner of the room, adding additional artificial light to their surroundings. A game show of sorts. Obviously, Tsuruno would find that entertaining.</p><p>The moment she was on the bed, though, Tsuruno all but tackled her, squeezing her tight as arms wrapped around Momoko’s body. She was on her back now, with Tsuruno on top of her, dazed from the impact as she hit the mattress.</p><p>“Tsuruno!” Momoko said loudly after a moment, but found that Tsuruno’s weight and the arms constricting her movement were… pretty pleasant, if she had to describe it.<br/>“What?” She asked, staring down at her innocently. She was laying next to Momoko, her big toe stroking up and down the top of Momoko’s foot, smiling at her still.</p><p>Momoko froze as she took in the scene. She was laying on Tsuruno’s bed, Tsuruno somehow straddling her in a way, staring down at her smiling. Momoko smiled back. The look in her eyes was just so, so adorable and Momoko didn’t want to look at anything else if she could help it. Tsuruno was happy to have her here, and that made it more than worth it to Momoko. Even if she wasn’t enjoying every second of this closeness- which she was- Momoko still would have gone the extra mile for her. Her warmth, the way that the mattress sprung up and down, attempting to right itself after their impact on the bed, her breath as it tickled Momoko’s chin...</p><p>Ugh. All this was so fun and adorable and seeing Tsuruno so happy just… made Momoko’s stomach churn even harder. She blushed a little, but managed to wrangle her arms free. With nowhere else to put them, she returned the hug that Tsuruno was giving her, causing the other girl to blush as well.</p><p>“Thanks for inviting me here…” Momoko said in a soft voice, leaning forward to place her forehead against Tsuruno’s. It wasn’t something that Momoko had expected to be so soothing, but after doing it for a while earlier with the girl, found that it had helped both of them stay calm. Tsuruno gulped.<br/>“No problem. That’s what friends are for, right?”<br/>“Right.”<br/>“And besides, you helped me out a lot earlier.”<br/>“Mhmm.”<br/>“And now…”</p><p>Tsuruno paused for a moment, but Momoko didn’t press her for what she was getting at. She’d say it eventually.</p><p>…</p><p>…</p><p>A long minute past of silence, during which time Tsuruno and Momoko had just simply stared into one another’s eyes, not bothering to move at all. The contact of their bodies was so warm, and the gaze of the other girl so peaceful, so welcoming that neither really wanted to change their situation.</p><p>So Momoko closed her eyes, took a deep breath of Tsuruno’s scent, and relaxed. Laying there like this was so refreshing, such a radical change from what they had experienced before. Earlier in the day, they were fighting for their lives- literally. Either of them could have died to that Witch earlier- they both could have! And if that had happened, instead of enjoying the warmth of Tsuruno’s body like Momoko currently was, she’d be cradling a Grief Seed like Yachiyo had last week… But she wasn’t. This was a happy moment. Momoko squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms even more tightly around Tsuruno’s body. The other girl reciprocated, which only brought a smile to Momoko’s face.</p><p>“Hey…” Momoko eventually whispered. In that minute, she probably didn’t blink once, but the strain on her eyes was worth it. Especially when the sweetest sight in the world was right in front of her.<br/>“Hey yourself.” Tsuruno said back, though her whisper was at least twice as loud as Momoko’s had been. Her breath was hot, tickling Momoko’s neck which each push of air out of her mouth. Somehow, that only made the hug that much more visceral. And enjoyable.<br/>“So…” Momoko started to say something, unsure of why she was about to say what she was about to say, but she was cut off by a third speaker.</p><p>Momoko’s stomach. The blonde blushed when her gut growled, but Tsuruno only let out a laugh,having to pull away. As funny as Momoko thought it to be, she knew that it was just her bad timing striking again. Dangit. She tried to laugh alongside Tsuruno,  but where her host was jovial and obviously entertained, Momoko was more than a little embarrassed.</p><p>“Hungry, Momoko?” Tsuruno asked. “Dad probably has stuff left over from the dinner rush.”<br/>“Right.” More Banbanzai sounded like… it would be the most delicious thing that Momoko could eat right now. She wasn’t that hungry, but… it was from Tsuruno. And that made it so much more special. Especially now, when these damned circumstances had made them sudden best friends.<br/>“Whatcha want? I can warm you up something. Or get dad to make it for us.”<br/>“I’m fine with just a bowl of rice, really. Chicken?”<br/>“One chicken fried rice coming up!” Tsuruno said, but despite the energy in her tone of voice, had yet to move a muscle. They were still laying there, foreheads connected, staring into one another’s eyes.</p><p>“Right.” Momoko said after another moment of silence.<br/>“Yeah…”<br/>“No rush.”<br/>“I don’t wanna starve you… but yeah.”<br/>“Yeah…”</p><p>The only thing keeping that from going on for another few minutes would be another growl of Momoko’s stomach. </p><p>“Ready?” Tsuruno asked, her smile just a little softer than it had been for the last few minutes.<br/>“No.” Momoko shook her head. In the split second in between question and answer, Tsuruno had started to relax the grip she had on Momoko’s midsection, but after hearing that, smiled a little brighter and pulled herself back in again. There we go. That was better. Momoko felt like this was exactly where they belonged at the moment. She sighed happily, snuggling in closer- if at all that was possible. Her forehead was resting against Tsuruno’s again, nuzzling the soft skin she found there, rubbing her own head back and forth a little.</p><p>Tsuruno opened her eyes and giggled a little.<br/>“Someone’s cozy.” She said.<br/>“Yeah.” Momoko said back in an almost dreamy tone. “Being with you makes me cozy.”</p><p>And then Tsuruno blushed. Which only caused Momoko’s cheeks to flare red again. Had she said something wrooooh. Wow… yeah, she really said that, didn’t she.</p><p>“Sorry. That was weird, huh?” Momoko asked, looking up at the ceiling. Tsuruno took the opportunity to place her forehead into the crook of Momoko’s neck, holding her arms wrapped around her neck now.<br/>“It was fine. I’m glad you like hanging out with me, still.” Tsuruno said.<br/>“I do.” Momoko said back, only after feeling the heat in her cheeks subsiding a little did she feel like she was comfortable enough to look at her friend again.<br/>“I’m glad you do. I don’t know what I’d do without you…” Tsuruno said, and now finding it to be her turn to realize she said something way more forward than she would have liked.</p><p>Luckily for her, though, her face was buried right in Momoko’s neck, leaving her more than ample room to shield her embarrassed eyes.</p><p>“We’re friends, right? That’s what friends do.” Momoko said, patting Tsuruno’s back.<br/>“Yeah. Best friends, right?”<br/>“Best friends.”</p><p>Momoko didn’t have to even think about affirming what Tsuruno had laid out. In the span of just a little under a week, Momoko had gone from having a reliable core group of friends to just one. But it felt like this one connection she had was stronger than anything she had ever had before. Not with Yachiyo, not with Mel, not with Mifuyu, but the way that she and Tsuruno felt about each other in those moments was more than perfect. Feeling at the top of the world didn’t begin to describe it. Everything that was happening to her right now just felt like it had been divined from the heavens. That nothing in the world could go wrong…</p><p>And then Momoko’s stomach growled again. Dammit. But despite how much she wanted to scowl at her body, Tsuruno moved into action. Finally, Tsuruno peeled herself away from the hug, and the moment her warmth left Momoko’s grasp, she was cursing ever needing to eat anything.</p><p>“Ready now?” Tsuruno said. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, sliding forward an inch at a time, looking back to Momoko expectantly.<br/>“Yeah, I guess so.” Since we’re already up. She thought. Not that she ever wanted to leave that little embrace in the first place. But since she had, might as well get some food out of the deal.</p><p>That night, Banbanzai had never tasted more delicious.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first thing that Momoko was aware of when she woke up was an intense rush. It wasn’t like those times when she dreamed about falling, and woke up feeling the air still whipping around her, the intense vertigo that came with that first moment of being conscious. No. This was the actual, literal sensation of gravity taking its natural course on her body as Momoko plummeted to the ground. Barely able to reach out her arms in time to prevent her nose from cracking against the carpet, Momoko landed with a large grunt, taking a moment to regain her bearings.</p><p>Her surroundings called out to her far more intensely than what Momoko had expected- the dim light of flaming fans; the soft thump of Tsuruno’s knees hitting the ground. She looked over; saw that Tsuruno had transformed into her Magical Girl outfit, crying intensely. </p><p>Momoko’s chest stung. Hard. Her heart ached as though it’d been run through with a blade, yet she summoned the strength to stand up regardless. She walked to the other side of the bed; felt her breath catch in her throat as Tsuruno’s form - slumped over and defeated - came into view. Momoko got down on her knees behind Tsuruno, rested her chin on her shoulder, and gently wrapped her arms around her waist.</p><p>Tsuruno’s entire body was shaking, her voice a high-pitched whisper, a sob on her lips told Momoko everything else she needed to know. So she did the one thing she knew that she could do; hold on to her tightly.</p><p>“Hey, hey… it’s alright… what happened?” Momoko asked, pressing her temple against Tsuruno’s as best she could from her current position.<br/>“I… Mel… I… dream… Momoko… I just…” Tsuruno spoke a string of words that wasn’t exactly comprehensible in that order, but each one individually gave Momoko enough of an idea what was going on.<br/>“Shhhhhh…” Momoko moved one hand up to stroke the back of Tsuruno’s head, pulling her into the hug even tighter. Another flash of light this time left them in darkness as Tsuruno’s pajamas reformed on her body, the pale orange battle gear having vanished into the void. Tsuruno turned around in the hug, now face to face with Momoko. Arms wrapped around the blonde’s neck tightly, Tsuruno’s head leaning forward, all but knocking Momoko over backwards at the sudden surge of strength.</p><p>And then the real tears started. Tsuruno’s sobs became veritable wails as she trembled even harder, fingernails clawing into Momoko’s back, but despite the pain the blonde felt… she knew that Tsuruno was feeling it even more. How could Momoko blame her?</p><p>“Hey, hey now.” Momoko said as soothingly as she could. “It’s okay to cry. I… I miss her too. She was a good friend, we’re always gonna remember her dearly, right? I’ve got you. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you. You’re my best friend, and I’m going to treasure you forever. I promise. So just… let it out. Let it out…” </p><p>Momoko was able to get those last three words out in a whisper before her own eyes watered up even more. A single sob matched Tsuruno’s cries, shakes, and scratches of Momoko’s back. It was a vulnerable moment, and Momoko knew that she’d end up crying, too. How could she not, when Tsuruno was in so much pain and there was nothing she could do for her but lay here and hold her? That hurt almost as much as Mel’s passing right now.</p><p>A few violent nods of Tsuruno’s head bumped into Momoko’s collarbone, but she only encouraged more of it with her words. Momoko hadn’t ever seen Tsuruno so vulnerable, and hopefully she’d never have to see her like this again. Momoko needed to be there for Tsuruno. Tsuruno was always so strong for her. Tsuruno was the one keeping the group’s morale up. Watching her crash like this hurt. The stinging in her chest only intensified as her own tears grew. Momoko knew she owed it to Tsuruno to at least do something. They were best friends now, and Tsuruno had done so much for her.</p><p>Momoko knew she could repay the favor.</p><p>But that didn’t stop a stray tear from flying down her cheek anyway. Blinking its remnants away, Momoko continued, still stroking the back of Tsuruno’s head. If Momoko had something to say about it, she wouldn’t be like this for much longer.</p><p> </p><p>“Momoko…” Tsuruno said, letting a loud sob follow her words.<br/>“Shhhhhh, I’m right here. I’ve got you. I promise.”<br/>“Promise?” Tsuruno asked, hands reaching up to clutch at the back of Momoko’s shoulders. <br/>“Yeah. I promise.” Momoko said. Tsuruno’s warmth wasn’t the inviting, peaceful aura that it had been earlier in the evening. Right now, it was an inferno of pain and guilt. Tsuruno blamed herself partly for Mel’s death, even though Momoko had told her not to. She was the type of girl who would take everything, bind it all together, and shove it into the deepest, darkest recesses of her heart.</p><p>And once they had been brought forth, Tsuruno could only cry, reduced to tears. Tears that just kept coming. Momoko didn’t know what to do to fix that. She could only kneel there and hold her as tightly as she could, hoping that this pain would pass. Momoko’s own chest hurt from seeing her friend like this. Her own composure was faltering, letting out a tear or two of her own. Momoko sobbed.</p><p>It was fine to let tears flow at a time like this. If not now, then when? Letting Tsuruno cry her little adorable heart out was for the best right now. It had been only the third time Momoko had ever seen Tsuruno cry. All three times had been in the past week or so. She hoped never to see this again. That Tsuruno would be able to be the happy, cheerful girl that she always pretended to be. If Tsuruno felt comfortable enough around Momoko to be this vulnerable, to open up to her in a way that felt so raw, then Momoko knew she ought to try to make it worth her while. And with the pain that shot through Momoko’s heart with every tear Tsuruno cried, something had to be done.</p><p>Being a shoulder to cry on was an excellent start, but in just kneeling there silently, there was a part of her that wanted to do more. To make sure actively that Tsuruno would cheer up. Time heals all wounds, yes, but there are other, more efficient ways to cure a mourning heart.</p><p>“Hey, you remember that time when it was the five of us at Mikazuki Villa? And Yachiyo was complaining about how we were always there?” Momoko asked softly, breaking through Tsuruno’s tears and sobs. When the only response was another sob and a weak nod, she continued.<br/>“You mean…” Sob. “That time she was- she was... “ Sniffle. “Sweeping?”<br/>“Yeah, that one.” Momoko said softly, letting her hand fall to the small of Tsuruno’s back, pulling her in even closer. “And she all but threatened to beat us with a broom until we were out of the house?”<br/>“Yeah…” Tsuruno couldn’t help but smile a little bit at that. She was still sobbing and sniffling all throughout, but it made Momoko so happy to be able to cheer her up that little bit.<br/>“All of us were late to school that day because we had slept over the night before? Yachiyo wasn’t happy about that. But Mel really wanted us to.” Momoko said. Another nod from Tsuruno, and another sniffle. Her body was shaking a little less now. Progress.<br/>“And now we can’t do that anymore…” Tsuruno said, letting another high-pitched whine escape her mouth. Momoko sighed.</p><p>She opened her mouth to make a rebuttal, but didn’t know what to say. Nothing she could think of would be able to refute that. It was a fact that they wouldn’t be able to do such things anymore. Mel was gone, and the team was disbanded. Now all that was left was Momoko’s and Tsuruno’s friendship. That had the potential of taking them farther than ever before.</p><p>Momoko let Tsuruno sob, those words lingering in the air for a moment while Momoko dug into her very soul, hoping to find some rebuttal to her words. Something needed to be said. Anything. Each second that past was only letting Tsuruno affirm the validity of her words. That wasn’t the support Momoko wanted to be. Think, Momoko, think…</p><p>But instead, the words came without thinking.</p><p>“But we have the memories of that morning. And we’ll be able to make new memories of our own, right?” Momoko asked. Her mouth moved of its own accord as she spoke, her mind skipping over her consciousness directly to her mouth. Which worked out way better than any reply she could have consciously penned. Tsuruno seemed to agree, and nodded her head.<br/>“Y-yeah… I know. I’m always gonna have you around to- to… to make memories with…” Tsuruno said. Momoko’s words seemed to have an even greater effect than she could have hoped. Her trembling had all but stopped, leaving just a few sniffles in its wake.<br/>“Yeah. I’m not going anywhere. Promise.” Momoko said.</p><p>The two of them knelt there in silence. How long, Momoko didn’t know. She had just taken to being the pillar of support Tsuruno needed in that moment, and apparently, also doing so literally, as Tsuruno slumped forward, letting Momoko’s torso hold her up. </p><p>Mel’s passing stung Momoko’s heart as well, but she had more time to process things than Tsuruno had. The brunette had only just now today been made aware that her friend had died- and turned into a Witch, at that- anybody would be absolutely heartbroken over that. The idea that Momoko had fought and helped kill her a second time probably didn’t help that.</p><p>But amidst all of Momoko’s thoughts, she kept kneeling there, eyes closed, holding onto Tsuruno as much as she needed. One hand had stroked up and down her back, fingernails running along the heavy fabric of her oversized sleepshirt, breathing slowly. Tsuruno’s body still felt hot against hers. They had been sweating, Momoko choosing to blame the brutal Japanese summers for that one. It didn’t matter. Tsuruno was slowly calming down. And that was good. Tsuruno didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve to wake up in the middle of the night after what was probably a nightmare. She didn’t deserve all this pain and anguish that she was going through. She deserved to be happy and healthy, living for a long time. Momoko knew she would make sure of that.</p><p>“Hey, let’s go lie down, okay?” Momoko asked. Tsuruno sighed, moving for the first time in what felt like several minutes.<br/>“Okay…” She said in a low grunt. “Can you still hold me? I don’t wanna be alone right now…”<br/>“Of course.” Momoko said without thinking.</p><p>Slowly, Momoko got Tsuruno to her feet, walking her over to the bed, the two alighted back onto the mattress for the third time that night, each more exhausted than the last. Once more enveloped in a tight, desperate cuddle, Momoko and Tsuruno lay there, licking both their own and the other’s wounds. They would be there for each other now in a way that they hadn’t been before. And Momoko welcomed the opportunity to help Tsuruno through this. So she relaxed, closed her eyes, and let her mind wander to the sound of Tsuruno’s heartbeat.</p><p>Eventually, Momoko felt Tsuruno’s breathing steady, her grip loosen on her body. She was asleep now. That was good. Hopefully this time, without any nightmares. Momoko wasn’t exactly in the most comfortable position with Tsuruno nestled in the crook of her neck, but there was a strange softness to it. A part of her didn’t want to move the older girl out of fear of waking her up, and the rest of her… </p><p>Was growing more accustomed to- and comfortable- having Tsuruno so close to her. So Momoko closed her eyes as well, relaxing her own grip on Tsuruno’s body, and letting herself drift off to sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After pulling Tsuruno back into bed the night before, she hadn't taken all that long to fall asleep again. Momoko had slept peacefully herself, dreamlessly, the warmth that she had come to expect from Tsuruno's cheery self right beside her all night long. And that was just how it should be. That had felt so, so right. So when Momoko opened her eyes for the first time the next morning, with sunshine peeking through the curtains of Tsuruno’s bedroom, she couldn't help but smile wide, staring at the girl’s sleeping face.</p>
<p>She was at ease, her entire form relaxed, beautiful, breathing slowly. In, out, in... out... and Momoko watched her happily all the while. With her arms around the older girl, she felt at ease. Like being in Tsuruno's arms was the most natural thing in the world. Because it was. Momoko let out a little giggle after staring into that sleeping expression for a few moments, unable to help herself from how much fun she was having with this.</p>
<p>A blush flew across Momoko's cheeks as she made that realization. Tsuruno was sleeping, and yet Momoko was still enjoying herself. What did that mean for her? Tsuruno was her friend, yes, so... why did she...</p>
<p>"Nnnn..." Tsuruno's face suddenly left that peaceful expression that it had worn up until a moment ago. her brow furrowed, eyes squeezed shut, mouth twisting down into a frown as she groaned. Her head tilted town, only moving closer into Momoko's shoulder, to which the blonde set a hand on her friend's shoulder, moving it to lightly caress the sides of her neck. Wow, she was beautiful...<br/>
"Good morning, sleepyhead." Momoko said, that same radiant smile on her face, made even brighter by Tsuruno's presence in the waking world.<br/>
" Momoko, hey." Tsuruno said, opening her eyes, pressing her forehead harder against Momoko's chest.<br/>
"Are you feeling alright?" Momoko asked, not wanting to bring up anything about last night so soon, yet still wanting to make sure she was feeling alright after the utter catastrophe that it had been.<br/>
"Mhm..." Tsuruno said, nodding her head as she pulled back, looking up into Momoko's eyes for the first time that day.</p>
<p>The contact made Momoko's smile glow even brighter, especially as Tsuruno sported one of her own. This was precious. Momoko wished she could freeze time and let this one moment last forever. Just her and Tsuruno, laying there, comfortable, alone... happy... Tsuruno being happy was the most important thing in Momoko's life at this moment, and damn if she didn't seem to be doing a good job of it already.</p>
<p>"Ready to go?" Tsuruno asked, not even having to rub her eyes before opening them fully, that cheery expression still present, just as intense.<br/>
"That was quick." Momoko said. She knew Tsuruno to be a morning person, but after going from half-asleep to fully awake like that was something that Momoko was almost jealous of. it suited her to be like that, though.<br/>
"Gotta get ready fast, gives us more time to walk, right?" Tsuruno asked, but she hadn't pulled herself away from the embrace just yet. It seemed that Momoko wasn't the only one reluctant to get up this morning.<br/>
"You say that, but we're still here..." Momoko said, smiling still. Tsuruno nodded at her.<br/>
"Yeah. This is comfy, though." Tsuruno said. Momoko couldn't help but agree with her.<br/>
"It really is." Momoko said, a sigh in her voice, making it clear to Tsuruno that she wasn't fond of the idea of getting up, either. But it had to be done. "Besides, we'll have time to hang out this afternoon, right?"<br/>
"Yep yep!" Tsuruno said.<br/>
"Hey, actually..."<br/>
"What's up?"<br/>
"I've got an idea."<br/>
"Yeah? I like your ideas!" Tsuruno said, and Momoko giggled, which caused Tsuruno to giggle, as well.<br/>
"There's this arcade that I go to every now and then when I'm really bored. It's a lot of fun. Wanna go do that?" Momoko asked, a smile forming on her face. This was going to be a lot of fun, especially if she knew Tsuruno as well as she thought she did. Tsuruno, predictably enough, nodded vigorously, squeezing Momoko into the hug even more.<br/>
"Yep! Let's do it! Sounds like fun!" Tsuruno's excited reaction was enough to force another laugh out of Momoko, this one was greeted with a squeeze of Momoko's arms around Tsuruno's body as well.<br/>
"But we do have to get up first." Momoko said, bringing the pair back down to earth. Tsuruno frowned, but nodded.<br/>
"You're right. Besides, my perfect attendance record is at stake here." Tsuruno said. Perfect.<br/>
"Can't risk that, now can we?" Momoko asked, slowly slinking away from Tsuruno and rolling out of bed. Tsuruno sat up a moment later, sitting there legs crossed, staring at Momoko with a smile on her face.</p>
<p>Momoko turned around just before grabbing her clothes, but Tsuruno's expression stopped her.<br/>
"Did I do something weird?" She asked. Tsuruno kept smiling, shaking her head slowly.<br/>
"No. It's nothing. Come on, let's go!" Tsuruno then sprang out of bed, jumping onto her feet effortlessly, pulling her along to her bathroom once Momoko had gathered up her school uniform.</p>
<p>Getting dressed was a surprisingly embarrassing affair. Momoko had worn one of Tsuruno's sleep shirts to bed, so in a way, they had matched, but when the time came to strip it off and to put back on their bras, neither knew what to do, it seemed. Momoko's hands were at her waist, shirt bunched up in both fists, looking over at Tsuruno, who was brushing her teeth in front of the mirror. Even though she was focused on that... how was Momoko going to take off this shirt and expose herself with Tsuruno right there?</p>
<p>And why did she care about that all of a sudden?</p>
<p>So Momoko turned around and quickly pulled the fabric up over her head. It hit the ground a ways away from her, at which point she quickly grabbed her bra, pulling it over her chest, hooking it behind her back with expert precision. Phew. At least if Tsuruno was going to see some part of her more private areas, she'd much rather her zebra-striped bra than her actual chest... and she had no idea why this was such an issue now and not last night when they were bathing.</p>
<p>So Momoko pulled her skirt up over her waist, threw her shirt on, buttoned it, and went over to the mirror to stand next to Tsuruno, mostly to brush her hair with a borrowed brush, hoping that Tsuruno wouldn't mind. But before she could open her mouth to ask, she was already being handed one with Tsuruno's spare arm. How did she...?</p>
<p>"Thanks." Momoko said, letting the bristles of the thing pass through her long blonde hair, which had gotten surprisingly tangled after just last night. But it had been a long, eventful day, so maybe this was understandable.</p>
<p>They stood there in silence for a moment, probably because Tsuruno's mouth was full of toothbrush. She was always the more talkative one of the two, and it wasn't like Momoko was the strong, silent type, either. She was just... preoccupied with her own thoughts too much to talk. Mostly thoughts about Tsuruno. How good of a friend she was, how caring she seemed to be despite everything she was going through... how beautiful she was in the mornings...</p>
<p>"What's up?" Tsuruno asked suddenly, breaking Momoko out of her daydreaming.<br/>
"Huh?" Momoko asked, confused. The first thing she saw after coming back down to earth was Tsuruno's confused expression in the mirror.<br/>
"You've been staring like that for a couple minutes now." Tsuruno said.</p>
<p>And true to form, Tsuruno was now dressed in her school uniform. When did that happen? Had Momoko watched? Oh no... had she? Was she weird?</p>
<p>"Oh, sorry, ummm... I'm just... well, it's..." What was it? Tsuruno being too cute for words? Well, Momoko couldn't rightly say that out loud, now could she?<br/>
"It's alright. I'm ready now. Wanna go get breakfast?" Tsuruno asked, offering Momoko an outstretched hand. One that was trembling ever so slightly. Huh? Momoko was the nervous one here, why was Tsuruno acting all jittery now?</p>
<p>Momoko took the hand without thinking into it any more. They both squeezed the other’s hand the moment their skin made contact, as though they were trying to rid themselves of the nerves bundled up with that one squeeze. For Momoko, it almost worked, feeling Tsuruno’s warmth again after being denied it for the few minutes they took to get dressed had been more painful than she would have ever thought possible.</p>
<p>“Let’s.” Momoko said. With that, Tsuruno pulled on her arm quickly, dashing towards the door and stairs, but by now, the blonde was used to it. This was normal, this was natural. Momoko never wanted moments like this to end. Being with her, feeling the skin of their hands press hard into each other… chatting like they did, watching her laugh… even her scent- strawberry shampoo from last night- still lingering about her scalp. Wonderful…</p>
<p>And before she knew it, they had eaten a hasty meal at one of the tables down in Banbanzai proper, and were being seen off by Tsuruno’s father.</p>
<p>“Bye, dad! See ya later!” Tsuruno said, waving at him cheerfully with her free hand. Momoko waved a little less enthusiastically, but smiled and waved she still did.<br/>
“Alright sweetie, have fun today, okay? Make good choices!” He yelled.<br/>
“Will do!” Tsuruno said.<br/>
“I’ll look after her, I promise!” Momoko shouted just before the door swung shut. </p>
<p>And once it did, she found herself hand in hand with Tsuruno, standing on the sidewalk on a bustling Kamihama morning. Momoko took a deep breath, staring out onto the street.</p>
<p>And then something as unimaginable as it was wonderful happened. She felt something warm and wet on her cheek. It had only lasted but a moment, Momoko’s entire body freezing up the second it had made contact with her skin. Tsuruno’s hand squeezed hers even harder. With the gasp she let out, Momoko knew immediately what had happened.</p>
<p>Tsuruno had kissed her cheek!</p>
<p>Momoko looked over at her, an intense blush on her face, breathing stopped, not sure what to do. She made eye contact with Tsuruno, who was blushing just as hard, but was grinning from ear to ear, squeezing her hand hard still. Momoko’s hand squeezed back, its owner letting out a loud giggle as she did so. </p>
<p>“Ready now?” Momoko asked. Tsuruno nodded vigorously, gobbling back even louder.<br/>
“Yep yep! Let’s go!” She said as enthusiastically as she could. Despite all the energy she poured into it, Momoko could tell she was still nervous.</p>
<p>It would be hard not to be when you just kissed somebody’s cheek though, right? But what did it mean? Momoko realized almost immediately that she liked the feeling, and was in absolutely no rush to wipe off the excess saliva the older girl had left on her skin. It felt warm, even if the wind was cooling it off quickly. It felt… homely… like she had never been more welcome anywhere else than here, walking down the sidewalk next to Tsuruno. Momoko kept up pace with her brisk walk, making an active effort to keep their footsteps synced.</p>
<p>As happy as Momoko had been though, she didn’t say a word. She was too focused on replaying that kiss in her head over and over again, barely paying attention to the road in front of her. She had a stupid grin plastered on her face, too. The corners of her mouth were twisted as far northward as she could go without hurting herself, locked in place there by the sheer euphoria that she was experiencing.</p>
<p>Her heart was threatening to beat out of her chest, as well. The steady, intense thumping was pouring blood into her veins, she could feel them pulse with every contraction, throbbing a wonderfully sensational melody that only served as a background to the repeating memory in her mind’s eye.</p>
<p>And it was wonderful. Momoko never wanted it to end.</p>
<p>And yet it had to. Because they were at the door to Momoko’s classroom. Again, when did that happen?</p>
<p>Momoko shook herself out of the trance that Tsuruno’s kiss had put her in to look at the brunette once. Hands still clasped tightly together, they stood to face one another in the doorway. A moment of silent smiling passed before Momoko broke it, blushing all over again.</p>
<p>“So lunch?” She asked.<br/>
“Yeah.” Tsuruno said, blushing back, a faint nod accompanying her smile.<br/>
“And then…” Momoko said, trailing off.<br/>
“The arcade, right?”<br/>
“Mhmm. The arcade. You ever been?”<br/>
“No. But I’m sure it’ll be fun.”<br/>
“It will be.” Momoko said, smiling even brighter.<br/>
“Hey, you can make anything fun, I’m already looking forward to it!”<br/>
“Yeah, me too.”<br/>
“Alright, so…” It was Tsuruno’s turn to trail off now, but despite their low, slow words, they still hadn’t broken eye contact.<br/>
“Right. You should… you know… perfect attendance and all…”<br/>
“Yep.”<br/>
“Yep.” Momoko said back.</p>
<p>And yet Tsuruno still stood there, unmoving. Not that Momoko minded, though.</p>
<p>Tsuruno sighed a moment later, closing her eyes, blinking a few times. Momoko had to tear her vision away from the brunette in front of her to look into the classroom. Right. They did still have school.</p>
<p>“For real this time?” Momoko asked, taking a step inside and unclasping their hands. Tsuruno’s warmth immediately left her, but its memory had her hands tingling in the most pleasant way imaginable. “Don’t be late, okay?”<br/>
“I won’t be!” Tsuruno said. “Alright, bye for real this time, see you for lunch!”<br/>
“Yeah, see you.”</p>
<p>Tsuruno turned around and Momoko could hear footsteps running full tilt down the hallway. She could only chuckle and shake her head as she sat down at her seat.</p>
<p>“Wow…” Momoko muttered to herself, eyes closed, thinking about the girl still, a flurry of sweet and wonderful images passing right underneath her eyelids. A moment passed, and one thought entered her head. One that she didn’t fight, but instead, she welcomed.</p>
<p>
  <i>You’ve got a crush, Momoko.</i>
</p>
<p>It was the most pleasant thought she had ever had.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lunch had been a fun affair. Unfortunately due to being what Momoko had later realized was lovestruck, she had forgotten to procure a lunch for herself. Tsuruno had probably asked or something, but Momoko was in a daze so badly that she probably didn’t hear. But fortunately for her, Tsuruno had brought a double order of her own food to share. Two plastic spoons, an extra large bento of friend ride, and a lovely hour up on the roof with the girl that Momoko now knew she had some kind of romantic feelings for.</p>
<p>And it had been the single best meal she had ever eaten.</p>
<p>After lunch, class passed about as slowly as it had the day before, Momoko mostly just biding her time, images of Tsuruno and the arcade floating around in her mind. She was so excited and could hardly wait, but time was crawling forward at a snail’s pace. The school bell finally rang, and before it had finished sounding, Momoko was already out the door, running towards the stairs with as much energy as Tsuruno had exhibited that morning.</p>
<p>Apparently, Tsuruno had done much the same, since they met on the stairwell. Both had to stop themselves with the railing lest they keep going and quite literally run into the other. Two smiles, two giggles, and a pause for breath later and Tsuruno broke the silence.</p>
<p>“Ready?” She asked, smiling down brightly as she finished descending. By now, a few other students were walking down the stairwell, surrounding them without a care in the world about their plans. As Tsuruno descended, Momoko held out a hand to her without an ounce of shame, knowing that she liked this girl now, and wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. Tsuruno’s hand slid into hers like it was the most natural thing in the world.<br/>“Ready.” Tsuruno said back, and they walked down the stairs at a much more sane pace than their previous exertion.</p>
<p>Unlike this morning, though, they were able to talk normally on their way to the arcade. Momoko knew that the aftermath of Tsuruno’s cheek kiss made things way too tense to make more than a few offhand comments. But this was better. Being able to talk to Tsuruno naturally, seeing her happy and cheerful, made the aftermath of that kiss so, so much sweeter.</p>
<p>“So how was class?” Momoko asked as they descended the stairwell, hoping to leave the school grounds as soon as possible. The walk wasn’t particularly long, but the sooner they were away from the school, the sooner they could get there, and the sooner they could have fun… not that she wasn’t having the time of her life already.<br/>“Boring.” Tsuruno said, a chuckle on her breath.<br/>“You too, huh?” Momoko asked.<br/>“Yeah, I was just really excited about this afternoon, Momo, so I couldn’t focus.” Tsuruno said. And Momoko blushed.</p>
<p>Momo? That was…</p>
<p>Adorable!</p>
<p>“I- uhh, well… yeah, I mean… yeah.” Momoko said, laughing loudly, scratching the back of her head, and then lowering it to rub her neck for comfort. In order to do so, she had to duck her hand under the hair that had been left down today, flowing down her back more naturally than it did in a ponytail.<br/>“Yeah?” Tsuruno asked, giggling, starting to swing their connected hands forward in an exaggerated fashion. Momoko let her, swinging back with the connected limbs once their wrists returned to their sides.<br/>“Yeah. I like that, by the way. So… you know, if you want…” Momoko said, blushing and trailing off.<br/>“If I wanna what, Momo?” Tsuruno asked.</p>
<p>Momoko looked back at her, only now aware that they were alone walking on the sidewalk rather than still in the school building. A few other students were around them, but not like before.</p>
<p>“That nickname… I like it. It’s cute.” Momoko said.<br/>“A cute nickname for a cute friend!” Tsuruno said, agreeing with her, letting their hands still swing in an exaggerated fashion. Momoko let her. It was fun.<br/>“I’m not…” Momoko started.<br/>“Oh, yes you are, silly!” Tsuruno said, leaning into Momoko’s side a little. Their shoulders made contact with enough force to almost knock Momoko off balance, and Tsuruno snickered at her reaction.<br/>“If you say so. But you’re cuter.” Momoko said.<br/>“I’ve got the cutest girl in the whole school right next to me!” Tsuruno said loudly, causing a few various heads of their fellow students to turn. Tsuruno challenged them to disagree by looking around. None did.<br/>“Alright, alright.” Momoko said.<br/>“Told ya!”</p>
<p>“Look, we’re almost there.” Momoko said. “A left here, okay?”<br/>“Okay!” Tsuruno said back, letting her voice quiet down a good bit now, pressing the button on the pole at the very corner of the crosswalk.</p>
<p>Momoko knew she liked Tsuruno, but wasn’t Tsuruno acting… a little differently? They had never talked about this kind of thing before. Momoko had never known Tsuruno to be particularly feminine or care about things such as cuteness so desperately as she had just exhibited. The blonde, though, she loved her cute things, as much as she also liked to hide it. Blaming her brothers for that one could only go so far, though, and it wasn’t like she kept it super hidden. It was just… harder to see when she wasn’t showcasing it.</p>
<p>But Tsuruno was cute… and Momoko did like cute things…</p>
<p>A moment of silent contemplation about all this later, and they were there. Momoko’s train of thought had carried them all the way to the arcade. Tsuruno pulled them in headlong despite not having any idea on what to expect.</p>
<p>“Alright! We’re here! Now what?” Tsuruno asked, looking around.</p>
<p>Inside was a huge carpeted area with walls and ceiling dimly lit, save for the games themselves. Bright, flashy, multicolored, and loud. Very loud. And packed, machines lined up next to each other almost as far as the eye could see, barely leaving any room in between the rows for people to walk through. And the people, oh there were already a lot of people. A few students had gotten the jump on them, but not many, a lot of older people, grown adults who had no business playing silly games like this, yet here they were. Not that Momoko really cared right now. She had her real prize right next to her already.</p>
<p>It was always sensory overload to the inexperienced mind, but despite that Tsuruno seemed to be taking it pretty well. She looked around at all the various games, at the dance machines, claw games, coin pushers, almost all of it in some cutesy or anime style, each and every one of them at least moderately entertaining. Momoko sighed happily. This was going to be fun.</p>
<p>“We’ve got to get cards first.” Momoko said, pointing over to the counter along the back wall. Next to it was a long row where machines sat solely to dispense said cards. Momoko slid in a few bills, and out popped a single plastic game card. To Momoko, they always looked like credit cards. It made her feel at least a little bit like an adult, even if she was playing games with it.</p>
<p>Tsuruno, after watching Momoko’s card pop out of the slot, reached for her school bag, probably fishing for her wallet when Momoko stopped her by grabbing her wrist quickly.</p>
<p>“I’ll pay, don’t worry about it.” Momoko said.<br/>“But-“<br/>“But nothing, this was my idea. Let me foot the bill this time.” Momoko said, a stern expression on her face.</p>
<p>She knew just how tight money was around Tsuruno’s place, so coming out to a place like this to spend upwards of five thousand yen in a heartbeat would be difficult money to replace. So Momoko knew it was the right thing to do. Tsuruno stared at her for a moment, and in that moment Momoko was afraid that she had done something wrong. But as Tsuruno’s face brightened up, so did Momoko’s.</p>
<p>“Okay!” Tsuruno said, happily going along with it. Arms back at her side, one hand slipped around Momoko’s waist while she inserted a few more bills, another plastic card dropped out. “Thank you.”<br/>“No problem. Here ya go.” Momoko said, looking over at Tsuruno. Wow… their faces were pretty close… Momoko wrapped an arm around Tsuruno’s waist, repaying the favor, hand trembling again.<br/>“Thanks.” Tsuruno said, slowly taking the card. Momoko could feel her fingers sliding against Tsuruno’s as the thing left her grip and into her friend’s. That warmth was electrifying, and it was gone just as fast as it had shown up. Pity.</p>
<p>But at least they had games they could play now.</p>
<p>"So, now what?" Tsuruno asked. They were still standing there in front of the card machine, each an arm wrapped around the other's waist, holding each a game card, not like that was doing them any good right now. As much as Momoko wouldn't have minded standing here until closing time, they had games to play. And that would make the experience hanging out with Tsuruno that much better. Momoko looked over at her, smirking. She knew just what she'd get started off with.<br/>"Come on, let's dance!" Momoko said, pulling away from Tsuruno far enough to grab at her hand, dragging her two rows down and past a few other machines to a vacant game with eight directional arrows on the ground in front of it. Even if Tsuruno had never played before, she should at least know what was going on here.<br/>"Alright!" She yelled. Momoko slid her card at the slot twice, pressing both the button in front of the pad she was standing on and the one next to her. Tsuruno stood there a moment later, their school bags resting on the ground in between them.<br/>"Ever done this before?" Momoko said loudly. Since the music started- an upbeat pop tune that Momoko was vaguely familiar with- she had to raise her voice even more than usual to compete with the myriad sounds coming from all around them.<br/>"Nope!" Tsuruno yelled back, so Momoko selected one of the lower difficulties. Someone as athletic as Tsuruno would be able to manage Medium, even if she had never played before. Momoko was used to playing on the hardest difficulties when she did, but going down three or four stages for Tsuruno's sake was just fine in her book.<br/>"It's pretty easy! Just step on the right arrow when it fits inside the outline!" Momoko said as the music started.</p>
<p>A deep breath later, and Momoko put her hands on the railing in front of her, even if it wouldn't be necessary. She could keep her balance just fine at this pace. But still, the habit was good to have. The music started, and Momoko looked over at Tsuruno, who was staring intently at the screen. One arrow scrolled up at a moderate pace. Left. Momoko moved her left foot, stomping on the square in tune with the music. Up. And then top-left. Easy enough, right? Momoko looked over at Tsuruno to verify that.</p>
<p>Their scores were the same so far. Yep. Tsuruno got this.</p>
<p>And then the main beat started, more notes scrolled up at them, but despite never having played before, Momoko knew that Tsuruno was a natural. Being a Magical Girl with enhanced strength and reflexes would make anyone a natural at this.</p>
<p>The song ran its course, and Momoko let go of the handle, standing up straight again, smiling, looking over at Tsuruno. Of course, Momoko had the higher score, but she wasn't keeping track.<br/>"So? Whatcha think?" Momoko asked, reaching down for both school bags, offering Tsuruno hers before leaving her hand suspended in midair. Tsuruno picked up on Momoko's suggestion and took it before replying.<br/>"It was fun! We should do that one again before leaving!" She said, and Momoko nodded.<br/>"Okay!"<br/>"But now what?" Tsuruno asked.</p>
<p>And now... Momoko was at a bit of a loss. Really, she could have picked any game, sat besides Tsuruno holding her hand, just silently playing for hours if that's what they would end up doing. But they were here, so Momoko might as well hit the high notes, the popular games, the ones that you sometimes had to wait in line to play. They had come at a good time. It wasn't as crowded as it usually was, so hopefully they wouldn't need to do much waiting.</p>
<p>But Momoko had an idea.</p>
<p>"Claw games, this way!" Momoko yelled out, pointing down the section of the aisle they had yet to walk through. Down that way, and to the right. Two more isles of games later and Momoko took a left, arriving at a claw machine that always had the cutest plushies in it. "This one!"<br/>"Ooooh, cute!" Tsuruno said after coming to a stop, standing shoulder to shoulder with Momoko, staring through the glass display cabinet of the claw machine Momoko had selected. The toys inside were cute. Bunnies, cats, an adorable little tiger or two. Yeah, Momoko wanted a tiger, actually.<br/>"Wanna try?" Momoko asked, but Tsuruno waved her hand forward instead.<br/>"You like this one, right? I want you to play it!" She said. Momoko nodded and slid her card, activating the claw.<br/>"I'll do my best." Momoko said. Taking hold of the joystick, Momoko aligned the two limbs of the claw to where she thought was right above the tiger she wanted. The idea was to pinch its neck in between the thing's claws to carry it over to the drop-bin for Momoko to take it out of. That was the idea. What actually happened was Momoko misjudging her positioning by just a hair, only succeeding in lifting the thing up a few inches before it went crashing back down in a fur and cottony heap on top of the other animals.</p>
<p>She took a step back and scratched the back of her head, laughing it off.<br/>"Well, I tried." Momoko said.<br/>"Don't worry, Momo, I got this." Tsuruno said, smirking over at her before sliding her own card. Once more, Momoko stood there blushing madly at the use of her new nickname, watching Tsuruno focus on the game. Her tongue stuck out of her mouth, angled upward, a glint of focus in her eyes that Momoko found incredibly beautiful... and a pump of her fist a few seconds later. "First try!"</p>
<p>Momoko shook her head, trying to focus on something other than Tsuruno's adorable face. When she did, she saw that the tiger Momoko had gone for and failed was currently in the grip of the claw's two arms, headed for the drop slowly. Momoko held her breath, knowing that it was still a real possibility that the plushie would loosen and fall before arriving at its destination. This time was not one of those times, though, as Momoko watched it fall into the bin at the bottom of the game. Tsuruno yelled out in victory once more, kneeling down to reach in and grab the tiger plush. Standing up with it, Tsuruno cuddled it tightly, both arms wrapped around it before nodding approvingly, holding it out to Momoko.</p>
<p>"Here ya go!" She said smiling.<br/>"For me?" Momoko asked, knowing that Tsuruno had probably intended on that from the start, but still wanted to be polite about it. When Tsuruno nodded in affirmation, Momoko reached out with both hands to take it, making sure that her fingers brushed against Tsuruno's. So warm, so soft...</p>
<p>While the tiger plush was not warm, it was certainly soft. And adorable. But not as adorable as the girl who had given it to her.</p>
<p>"Thanks." Momoko said, smiling warmly at Tsuruno.<br/>"Nooo problem!" Tsuruno said, clenching her fist in front of her. "You wanted it, so I got it!"<br/>"You're the best, you know that?" Momoko asked, blushing anew at the question.<br/>"Nope, that's you. The best deserves what she wants, right? Come on, let's go find something else to play!"</p>
<p>Tsuruno didn't give Momoko time to think about what she had just said before grabbing her hand and pulling her away. Holding the tiger close to her, Momoko let Tsuruno drag her around the arcade, curious to see where they would end up.</p>
<p>"This one!" Tsuruno said, stopping randomly at one of the more classic arcade games. It was a simple wooden cabinet, black with pixelated ghosts on it. A single joystick sat in the middle of the panel. No seat in front of it, which didn't stop Tsuruno from sliding her card, other hand already on the joystick before she knew what she was doing.<br/>"That one?"<br/>"Yep!" She said. Music started up, blaring at them as a few quick rules splashed on the screen. Momoko knew them well. Collect the dots, don't let the ghosts touch you, get the fruit if you can. Classic. And Tsuruno was about to be in for a treat.<br/>"Have you ever played this?" Momoko asked, standing besides her. Tsuruno shook her head.<br/>"Nope!"<br/>"Need some help?" Momoko asked.</p>
<p>Momoko knew that Tsuruno was a smart girl, that she could figure it out on her own, even if the screen hadn't just told her the gist of what she was supposed to be doing. But Tsuruno nodded her head as she started to navigate anyway. Momoko had an idea. One that she had always thought was so romantic, yet had also always thought she'd be on the receiving end rather than the giving end. But Momoko liked this girl, so things had to be done differently than her last unrealized crush.</p>
<p>So Momoko moved behind Tsuruno, letting her chest press into Tsuruno's back as both hands snaked around, palms and fingertips tracing her arms on her way down to Tsuruno's hands, which she cupped in her own. Momoko blushed, and she could see Tsuruno do the same. But neither cared how embarrassing this was. They were having fun.</p>
<p>"Each ghost has its own pattern. The red one tries to chase you so you have to outrun him. The pink one is gonna try to trap you, so be careful of that, okay?" Momoko asked, leaning forward enough to place her chin on Tsuruno's shoulder just as the brunette nodded.<br/>"Got it. And the other two?" She asked. Momoko thought about it for a second.<br/>"The orange one just kinda does whatever when he's close to you. I wouldn't worry about that one as much."<br/>"Aaaand, that one?"<br/>"The one you just ate?"<br/>"Yep yep!"<br/>"Well, you just ate him, didn't you? Good going." Momoko said, laughing a little, looking up at Tsuruno's face. She had a smile from ear to ear- at least Momoko assumed that, given that she could only see the right side of Tsuruno's head. The other half was probably just as happy as this one, her blush having faded a little faster than Momoko's had.</p>
<p>Tsuruno played for a few more minutes. At some point, Momoko undid the safety net Tsuruno had and slowly moved her hands back. But instead of stepping away from her, the blonde kept her arms around Tsuruno's midsection, their contact still as direct and intimate as ever. And Tsuruno seemed to not mind, cheering and frowning as the game's ebb and flow affected her energy levels more than a simple arcade cabinet had ever done for Momoko.</p>
<p>And it was really, really cute.</p>
<p>"Whoo!" Tsuruno cried out, having just lost her last life to the ghosts. She turned to Momoko, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, twisting in the little hug she had been receiving. "That was fun!"<br/>"It was!" Momoko said loudly in agreement. Even though Tsuruno had just lost, she was still as energetic as ever. Which was just how Momoko liked seeing her.<br/>"So now what?" Tsuruno asked. "Your turn to pick!"<br/>"My turn?" Momoko asked, standing up a little straighter, breaking the hug but still letting Tsuruno's arm stay around her shoulders. She opted to let half of the hug remain, sliding the hand down to Tsuruno's waist.</p>
<p>When Momoko led the charge, it wasn't a mad dash like Tsuruno's leadership had been, hand in hand into the breach without a care in the world, it was more of a slow and steady current. They walked at a much more docile pace, one foot in front of the other, Momoko carefully considering her options. Even if they circled the whole building twice without finding anything to strike Momoko's fancy, she would still consider the time spent a success.</p>
<p>But luckily for her, she wouldn't have to, as she found exactly what she wanted to do with Tsuruno next.<br/>"There!" She said loudly, pointing off to her right. It was a much taller and larger machine than anything they had played before, with a curtain on one side of it, leaving room for any to pass through.<br/>"A photo booth?" Tsuruno asked, hitting the nail on the head. Momoko nodded.<br/>"Yeah, let's take some pictures. How's that sound?" Momoko asked, and Tsuruno nodded immediately.<br/>"Let's do it!" She said.</p>
<p>Walking over, Momoko lifted up the curtain for Tsuruno to walk through first, stepping in after her and sliding her card. The screen in front of them gave the two a few options, but Momoko chose the basic 4-picture option with no filters... no, she'd have a little flowery border around their bodies. That was cute.</p>
<p>"Alright, ready?" Momoko asked, sliding her hand back around to rest at Tsuruno's waist.<br/>"Ready!" She said.</p>
<p>The first picture was taken normally. Two bright smiles, each standing upright. The second was of them laughing, temples pressed together, eyes closed. Tsuruno had put her arm back around Momoko's shoulder for this one. An impromptu pose, but Momoko knew it would be adorable to see later. The third one flashed in the aftermath of the second pose. Both girls had started to laugh unable to control themselves before the picture was taken. But after the third and they righted themselves, Tsuruno looked back at the camera properly again, and Momoko at her.</p>
<p>She knew what she needed to do.</p>
<p>Summoning every bit of courage she had, Momoko dashed in, puffing out her lips, planting a long kiss on Tsuruno's cheek, closing her eyes until she felt the bright flash of the camera snapping its final picture. Tsuruno hadn't moved at all. Momoko felt her entire body tense up the moment she repaid that kiss from this morning. Understandable. Momoko had felt the same way. When she parted, both girls were once again blushing heavily, Momoko breathing a little harder than normal.</p>
<p>"Wow..." Tsuruno said. Momoko slowly reached for Tsuruno's hand blindly as they stared into one another's eyes, too nervous to even smile. Momoko nodded, and gulped.<br/>"Yeah. Mine felt good too, thanks..." Momoko said, barely above a mutter.<br/>"No prob. It was fun..."<br/>"It was, wasn't it...?"<br/>"Yep."</p>
<p>Momoko didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay here, to stare into Tsuruno's eyes, keeping her hand in hers for as long as possible. Tsuruno did too, obviously, given that she had yet to move. Only a squeeze of Momoko's hand and a smile as her blush lessened, and Tsuruno moved a step closer.</p>
<p>And suddenly, she was the target of a full-body hug that could not have been predicted. Momoko's blush reignited, leaving her even more frozen in place due to her nerves, but somehow found the energy to hug back.</p>
<p>"H-hey... Wha-what's this all of a s-sudden?" Momoko asked, stuttering, her entire body tense as she slowly let her arms fall to Tsuruno's back, returning the hug.<br/>"I just wanted to thank you." Tsuruno said, causing Momoko to shake her head.<br/>"No need. This is what friends do, and we're best friends, right?"<br/>"Bestest of friends." Tsuruno said, and Momoko giggled, pulling her in even tighter.<br/>"Yeah. Bestest friends." Momoko said. As nonsensical as it was, Momoko couldn't help but agree. She had never had a better friend than Tsuruno was to her right now. And they needed each other now more than ever. Perhaps that was why they were drawn so close together all of a sudden, but Momoko wouldn't worry about that any more.</p>
<p>Not when the photos dropped down from the printer, ready for them to take. Two copies of the four pictures. Momoko had paid double for that, but she didn't care. Having a physical memory from today was worth more than all the money she had spent today. Even without the tiger, even without the pictures, the important takeaway from today was that she and Tsuruno had had fun.</p>
<p>And that Momoko had only solidified in her head that she liked this girl.</p>
<p>Grabbing both of them, Momoko fanned them out with a smile, holding one out for Tsuruno to take. As she did, Momoko took her wallet out from her school bag, sliding it inside, next to her cash for safekeeping. It wouldn't bend there, Momoko owned one long enough to have to avoid folding cash- and thus, the picture. Which she was eternally grateful for. Looking back up at Tsuruno, who was still looking down at the pictures with a huge smile on her face, Momoko held out her hand again.</p>
<p>"Ready? It's getting pretty late." Momoko said.<br/>"Is it?" Tsuruno asked, but sighing, taking Momoko's hand. She knew it was the truth, as told by her reaction.<br/>"Yeah. Let's go. I'll drop you off at your place, okay?" Momoko said back, which put a fresh smile on Tsuruno's already slightly downcast face.</p>
<p>They walked out of the arcade slowly, hand in hand, but not out of sadness. Rather, out of happiness that the day had gone that way.</p>
<p>The sun was setting, as was becoming common by the time their afternoons together had ended. Momoko knew that Tsuruno's father would be happy with her, taking up so much of her time, making her feel this excited, this happy. Tsuruno deserved it, though. She deserved to be happy, especially on a day like today, even more so after what had happened last night.</p>
<p>Which was why when Momoko looked down an alley not too far from the arcade's entrance, when she saw that Witch's Labyrinth, she chose not to comment on it. If not for Tsuruno spotting it as well, Momoko would have walked right past it, going back to Banbanzai and telling Tsuruno goodbye for the night.</p>
<p>"Hey, Momo?" Tsuruno asked.<br/>"Yeah?" Momoko said, having gotten used to the little nickname by now.<br/>"We should... you know..." She said, pointing down the alley at the distortion in reality. Damn. Momoko really had hoped she wouldn't sense it.</p>
<p>She sighed, nodding.<br/>"Alright. Let's stay safe, okay?"<br/>"Of course. We'll protect each other." Tsuruno said, suddenly far more intense and determined than she had been a moment ago.<br/>"Yeah. I'll protect you." <i>With my life, if need be,<i> Momoko added in her head, steeling herself for the battle to come.</i></i></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Much like the last Labyrinth Tsuruno and Momoko encountered together, the landscape that Momoko found herself in was monotone and dreary. Though unlike the gray skyline with a faint sun shining down, instead this Labyrinth was a realm of darkness. Only a very faint light source emanated from somewhere in the distance ahead of them, otherwise leaving the two girls in total black.</p><p>"Momo?" Tsuruno called out from pretty close to Momoko, but she couldn't quite tell where.<br/>"Tsuruno?" Momoko called back, taking a few steps in that direction. One flash of light later, and Momoko saw Tsuruno's face illuminated in orange light by the flames of her fans. Momoko nodded quickly before transforming herself. Sword in hand, Momoko looked around. Save for the lack of any sort of natural lighting, there was... kind of nothing. The ground was solid, unmoving like last time. But that was about the only other thing she could tell. </p><p>The total lack of familiars didn't help either. Momoko tightened her grip on her sword, looking around them intently, trying to discern anything about their surroundings that could possibly give them an edge. But there was nothing. Looking towards the flames roaring in Tsuruno's hands, Momoko saw the girl's face. She looked just as determined, looking around for presumably much the same as Momoko had just scanned for.</p><p>"See anything?" Momoko asked. It was good to see that she was serious about this, especially when they recently learned that failure in battle meant death. Tsuruno was focused, searching through the darkness with eyes half-squinted shut. <br/>"Nothing." She said after another second.<br/>"Well, let's get going. We need to find something in here." Momoko said, taking a step closer to Tsuruno, smiling at her as much as she could. She took another step forward, standing next to her now. "Let's walk together, I don't have light naturally, and we should conserve our magic."<br/>"Right."</p><p>Normally, this would be the part where Momoko offers Tsuruno one of her hands, and they'd walk down to wherever it was they were going hand in hand, talking happily. But this wasn't one of those times. Their fate as magical girls didn't allow for anything like that to happen. They were here for a death match with some supernatural being who was... formerly one of them. Whoever this was must have died recently. What Witch killed her and turned her into one of their own, where did it happen? Was it near the arcade? Or had she wandered here from somewhere else? Maybe she wasn't even from Kamihama.</p><p>"What was that?" Tsuruno asked suddenly. While Momoko had been focused on just walking, thinking too much about Tsuurno and this Witch... and keeping her safe... Tsuruno had picked up on something that Momoko hadn't. She looked over to where Tsuruno was glancing, following her eyes, focusing on her surroundings in hopes of picking up any kind of movement.<br/>"See something?"<br/>"No, hear it." Tsuruno said.</p><p>Hearing it but still not seeing it was a start. Not preferable, if Momoko was being honest, but a start. She just wanted to kill this thing and tuck Tsuruno into bed.</p><p>"There!" Tsuruno yelled suddenly, dashing forward, flames moving in her hands wildly rather than in a steady blaze in front of her. Momoko couldn't tell what was going on, but she knew that Tsuruno wasn't one to do something so brazen as that without a good reason. At least not during a fight... Momoko followed her, letting her own magic run a little more freely. A glowing aura appeared around her now, channeling a bit of her energy through her sword into the air, illuminating her surroundings a bit. </p><p>The first thing she noticed was that indeed, Tsuruno was right. There had appeared an enemy before them. A shadowy figure, almost indistinguishable from its surroundings, though it did have a slight glow to it as Momoko approached. The closer she got, the lighter and lighter it became. To the point that, when Tsuruno got within striking distance and swung her fans, slashing across its body, the figure- in the shape of a girl their size and probably age-  its outline was a solid white in contrast to the expanse of shadows surrounding it from every side. </p><p>Tsuruno's fans passed right through it as though the girl was an immaterial body of smoke. Parts of white shadow billowed out in the direction Tsuruno had slashed in, rising slowly, dissippating somewhere in the air above them. As it rose upwards, more white smoke- for it was clearly smoke, as Momoko could tell, approaching fast and ready to swing her own sword forward- materialized out of the darkness to take its place.</p><p>The shadow didn't move, even as it was struck. Momoko focused on its head. Faceless, billowing white smoke made for a flat, expressionless landscape across its body, though it was really only noticable- and eerie- from the neck up. She yelled as she got closer, bringing her sword up to strike. And as she approached her range, swung down with her weapon. Much like had happened to Tsuruno's fans, Momoko's sword passed right through the shadow's body, tip embedding itself in the ground. Dirt, apparently, given how far it sunk in and how easy it was to pull out.</p><p>Once more though, the shadow was unaffected. It simply stood there motionless as the smoke of its body was pushed about. Some escaped its form, rising upwards, but most of it was recaptured and brought back to the body from which it had come.</p><p>Momoko jumped back the second her sword was free of the ground, not wanting to stick around for too long, lest she risk a counterattack. </p><p>"Tsuruno!" Momoko shouted, looking in the direction of the other girl. She was standing not far away, leaning forward, one fan pointed towards their enemy, the other at her hip. "We need to play this one smart!"<br/>"Yeah, I'm thinking!" Tsuruno shouted back, staring forward. </p><p>And still, the white smoke of their enemy hadn't moved an inch.</p><p>"What's it doing?" Tsuruno asked after another moment of unwavering stillness from both Momoko and the shadow. Tsuruno took a step forward, letting her flames flare up even brighter than they normally did.<br/>"Nothing... and that's what's making me nervous. Seriously, Tsuruno, be careful." Momoko said, inching closer to their enemy along with the other girl, not wanting to be too far away for when the fighting really got started.<br/>"I will be, don't worry, Momo." Tsuruno said. As much as Momoko wanted to take a moment to look at the girl, she kept her eyes forward, glaring down the Witch she had her sword pointed at. Momoko took another step forward.<br/>"Let me take the lead. You have ranged attacks, I've got to get in close, alright?" Momoko said, walking forward slowly until she was passed where Tsuruno was standing, bouncing on her feet, arms dangling at her waist, flames spitting light all around them.<br/>"Alright." Tsuruno said. A moment of silence passed, and then she opened her mouth again. "Be careful."</p><p>Momoko couldn't help but smile at that. It was nice to hear that Tsuruno was worried about her as well. The shadow only stood still even more, as if it was taunting Momoko, daring her to take another step forward now. Which she did.</p><p>"I will." Momoko said. She was still several paces away from striking distance when an idea came to her. Not looking away from their target, she addresed her friend again. "Tsuruno, shoot some fire at it. I want to see what it does."<br/>"You got it." Tsuruno said. Momoko didn't have to watch her to recognize the sound of her crush's feet lifting off the ground, flipping backwards in the air, a pair of fireballs spinning around one another, homing in on the shadow. </p><p>They passed right through it, the smoke scattering about as it usually did. Some rising to the sky above, the rest reforming that same form it had before.</p><p>"Still nothing." Tsuruno said, sighing.<br/>"Yeah. Nothing's-" Momoko started, but didn't have time to finish her sentence as her Magical Girl body reacted on its own.</p><p>The shadow suddenly surged forward, floating in the air, flying towards Momoko at an alarming speed. She barely had time to instinctively place her sword diagnally across her body to block an incoming attack. One of the Witch's arms extended forward, billows of smoke trailing behind it, streaming off its body as it flew. The fist connected with Momoko's sword with a deafening clang, pushing her body several feet back, sliding in the dirt, but still keeping her balance. As Witch and Magical Girl made contact, Momoko closed her eyes, keeping her head down, but looked back before she came to a stop once more.</p><p>Only to see the Witch advancing on her again, rearing back its left hand this time for another blow.</p><p>"Momoko!" Tsuruno shouted. Behind that white ethereal form, Momoko could see Tsuruno running towards them, but Momoko didn't have time to look at her long. She still only barely had time to bring her sword up to block the newest attack. This one had just as much force as the last blow had, Momoko getting knocked back even more, having to push forward to prevent getting blown away, knocked off balance. Momoko kept her eyes open during the slide this time, watching her enemy as it charged at her again. Blow after blow, alternating hands, Momoko not able to get an attack in at all, needing to spend all her time and energy on blocking the Witch's attacks.</p><p>Tsuruno was struggling to keep up, as well. As fast as she was running, the Witch was pushing Momoko back with almost as much speed. Eventually though, Tsuruno did catch up, and when she was in range to shoot the same fireballs at it that she had before, actually landed a solid blow on the Witch's back. Unlike every other time before, it didn't evaporate into smoke, leaving its somewhat physical form in favor of blowing in the nonexistent wind. Instead, the Witch almost flinched in pain, a sharp, ear-piercing screech assailing Momoko's eardrums as she recovered, trying to stand up straight the first moment she could. Momoko smirked, realizing they had found their opening.</p><p>"Again!" Momoko yelled, and Tsuruno shot another pair of fireballs at the Witch. These too connected, causing the beast to lurch forward, reaching around to clutch at its back, turning to Tsuruno.</p><p>And charge at her.</p><p>"Tsuruno!" Momoko yelled. Bad idea. Very, very bad idea. The moment the Witch turned its back on Momoko, she realized her mistake. Tsuruno didn't have the same defensive capabilities that Momoko did. She didn't have a giant sword to block punches with. Those fans were about as good on defense as the tiger plush Tsuruno had given Momoko earlier that afternoon. Momoko rushed forward, flying with all her might in the same direction that the Witch was going. Tsuruno had stopped advancing, realizing that the thing was coming for her. Rather than run away like Momoko would have wanted, Tsuruno stood her ground, shooting even more fire at it. More howls of pain erupted, but that didn't stop the beast's movement. Even in the dark, Momoko could tell that the Witch wouldn't go down without a fight. Unfortunately.</p><p>Momoko ran as hard and as fast as she could, trying to land a blow on the Witch before it could get to Tsuruno. Momoko failed, and had to watch as it was Tsuruno's turn to brace for impact. Arms crossed over her chest, fans hiding most of her body, lowering her posture... none of that helped. The Witch's fist- now enlarged to cover most of the area of Tsuruno's defenses.</p><p>The sound of the strike was sickening. The impact was loud, Tsuruno's shout of pain unbearable to listen to. Which only spurred Momoko on more, running and yelling as loud as she could. She brought her sword up above her head, swinging it down, hoping to slice open the thing's back. Which she was more successful at than she could have reasonably expected. Her sword sliced open the Witch's back, but as it stood upright to begin chasing Tsuruno again, Momoko realized her mistake.</p><p>Out of the wound she had inflicted, two more arms grew, one of which delivered a quick but solid punch directly to her gut, sending Momoko flying in the opposite direction. As she soared through the air, she managed to catch a glimpse of the Witch picking Tsuruno up with its two front arms, hands growing large enough to completely wrap its fingers around her arms and torso, locking her in place. Wrapping its 'back arms' around its body, alternating punches to her jaw.</p><p>Momoko screamed at the top of her lungs as she stood up, running full tilt towards the Witch, only to find that the Witch, too, had started running. All while holding onto a struggling Tsuruno who was taking repeated licks to the face.</p><p>It was horrifying to watch. Momoko's heart stung even more than it had ever before for this girl. Each blow looked as though it hurt more than getting run over, each hit came with a scream from Tsuruno, who had fully surrounded her body in flames. It had accomplished nothing but causing the Witch to scream out in pain even more.</p><p>"Tsurunooooo!" Momoko yelled out again, trying and failing to pick up her pace. This was it. This was as fast as she could go, running in the darkness, following after the literal and metaphorical light of her life. Tsuruno meant so much more to her than almost anybody ever had, but there was nothing that she could do for her now. Momoko had to grit her teeth and run like she had never run before to even have a hope of catching up.<br/>"Momoooo!" Tsuruno said as loudly as she could, but it was a rather weak call, as though she were losing more and more strength by the second.<br/>"Hang on, I'm coming!" Momoko said back. But she was catching up too slowly, way too slowly, to keep Tsuruno as safe as she had promised just moments ago. "I'm coming!"</p><p>Tsuruno's cries of pain were becoming quieter and quieter by the moment, her attempts to escape the Witch's grasp growing weaker and weaker, the flame guiding Momoko's footsteps growing dimmer and dimmer.</p><p>"Momo... please..." Tsuruno's voice hadn't carried across the physical realm, but directly into her mind via telekenesis. Tsuruno was losing strength fast. Momoko had to do something. But what? What was there to do? She couldn't lose her composure now. Losing her compsoure would mean losing Tsuruno, the one thing in her life she didn't want to lose. So instead, Momoko did the only thing she knew that she could do to save her.</p><p>Channeling her magic, Momoko used even more of her strength than before. She knew that this risked her Soul Gem becoming even more polluted than it should be, but it was either that or risk Tsuruno becoming a Witch. Momoko knew she was closer to protecting Tsuruno with her life than she'd like, but it was something she resolved to do if necessary. And it was dangerously close to necessary now.</p><p>Momoko jumped forward, spinning in midair, shooting out a blast of energy from the tip of her sword. The additional light didn't provide any information about her surroundings as she was blasted back, propelled even harder than she could ever hope to be while running on her own two feet.</p><p>The trick brought her crashing right into the Witch, it seemed. Momoko's back collided with something hard just as she turned to check her course. Tsuruno yelled, and although the Witch still held on to her, the repeating blows to her head stopped. Momoko spared one moment to look at the girl still in the sharp grasp of those white, smoky hands. She wasn't moving. Momoko didn't know if she was even breathing. She opened her eyes for just a moment as the Witch started to twitch again, trying to get its balance. Now with two more arms sprouting out of its back, quickly growing, Momoko knew she had to act fast.</p><p>'Momo... please...' Tsuruno's thoughts invaded her head again. Words that she didn't want to hear. Momoko didn't want to face that. She didn't want to lose another friend. Not like this. Not like that.</p><p>So she resolved she wouldn't. Standing up quickly, brandishing her sword with both hands, glaring at the Witch.</p><p>Flames shot out around Momoko in all directions as she stalked her prey, now struggling to stand up on its legs, having sprouted arms number five and six as a result of the impact with Momoko's back.</p><p>Momoko got in range to swing her sword, aiming for one arm right where it connected to it's body.</p><p>"YOU!" Momoko yelled, one singular word for the one strike, the one limb removed from the Witch's now permanently solid form. She aimed first for one of the arms holding Tsuruno tightly. It fell to the ground and dissippated in a puff of smoke.<br/>"WILL!" Another shout, another swing, and another arm lopped off. This one left Tsuruno to fall to the ground. She didn't move, which only enraged Momoko even more.<br/>"NOT!" A third swing, and now the Witch was on the back foot, attempting a counterattack, but finding no purchase as the arm extended forward was Momoko's next target.<br/>"TAKE!" Another shout, another swing.<br/>"HER!" Momoko glared even harder at the Witch, letting every ounce of hatred she felt for everything in the world escape her body at this one slash of her sword, and another arm was gone.<br/>"FROM!" At this shout and this swing, Momoko relieved the Witch of its last arm, now left with only its two legs, stumbling backwards.<br/>"MEEEEE!"</p><p>Momoko stepped on the Witch's solid white body, gripping the hilt of her sword with both hands, driving it down into the beast's neck. One more loud, ear-piercing shriek, and the Witch was no more, evaporating into the white smoke that it had been made of initially.</p><p>Momoko sunk to her knees, tired, but not to rest. The Witch was bound to drop a Grief Seed somewhere around here. Tsuruno needed it. Momoko knew she was drained, and now that she could let herself feel an emotion other than righteous anger, Momoko was afraid. She was very afraid.</p><p>A sob escaped her lips as she got down on her hands and knees, feeling around in the darkness, trying to catch purchase on anything other than dirt on her gloved hands. That was the medicine that would save Tsuruno's life. That was what would keep her best friend alive. That was the thing that she'd give her life for, if it meant it.</p><p>Dirt became concrete as the Labyrinth dematerialized, spitting both Tsuruno and Momoko out onto the alleyway that they had entered it from. The sun was fading, but that meant that Momoko had just enough light to quickly spot the black pointy thing. She grabbed it, clutching it tightly in her hands as she sobbed. </p><p>She brought it over to Tsuruno, and held it against her Soul Gem after looking for it a moment longer than she should have in her panic. The darkness that clouded the usually bright orange glow of Tsuruno's Soul Gem began to fade, letting its natural light shine again, and Momoko felt her heart soar.</p><p>Panting heavily, tears streaming down her face, Momoko let out a smile, and then a choked giggle as she watched Tsuruno's lifeless body start to breathe again, coughing violently, spitting out a small amount of blood just before sitting up. Both were still wearing their Magical Girl costumes, but that didn't stop Momoko from tackling Tsuruno into a hug. The Grief Seed used up and Tsuruno safe again, Momoko knew she had enough time to drop Tsuruno off and dial Mitama's number to get another from her.</p><p>"Tsurunooo!" Momoko said loudly, a giggle and a sob on her lips at the same time. "You're okay!"<br/>"Yeah... thanks to you." Tsuruno said, returning the hug that had been given to her oh so tightly with one much looser.<br/>"I almost lost you. Oh, Tsuruno..." Momoko couldn't hold back the tears anymore. </p><p>It had been the most miserable experience in the world, watching Tsuruno take the beating that she had, unable to do anything about it for so long. Coming up with that plan in the moment was harder than it should have been. Momoko knew that she needed to be more composed than that in the future if they were going to be fighting Witches together. But right now, Momoko didn't care. She let tears stain Tsuruno's neck as she buried her eyes into it, holding onto her midsection for dear life.</p><p>Now, it was Tsuruno holding onto Momoko, comforting her for once rather than the other way around. They both had lost Mel recently, but Momoko had almost lost another friend. Not having to go through that a second time was relief beyond belief.</p><p>"Tsuruno..." Momoko said after a long moment of getting a gentle back rub from her friend. She looked at her, pulling away from the hug for a few moments. And then suddenly, words started to form of their own accord.</p><p>"Tsuruno..." Momoko said again, tucking a strand of hair behind Tsuruno's ear before continuing. "Ever since... you know... I've felt so, so alone, except for you. You've been there for me, you've been such a good friend, and... and I don't know how this happened, Tsuruno, but... I think I like you... like..."<br/>"Like?" Tsuruno said, using one thumb to gently brush the last tear streaking down Momoko's face away. As Momomo spoke, her gentle smile grew into one of excitement, and then only got brighter and brighter until it was an ear to ear toothy grin by the time Momoko finished her statement. It was too infectious. Momoko sniffled, sporting one of equal energy.</p><p>Even though Tsuruno had just had a near-death experience, Momoko felt the need to say those words. And with Tsuruno's one-word reply, she was starting to become fearful for how the other girl felt. Her eyes were only half-open as she struggled to move, still getting used to the warmth that came with her recent healing. Now that she was sitting up, though, Momoko continued.</p><p>"Like... you know, like... I like you like you, Tsuruno. I know, this is the worst time to say something like that, but-" Momoko didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before she was cut off by her best friend.<br/>"It's okay. Any time would have been perfect for that. Momo, I like you too." Tsuruno said slowly. Momoko's words had been filled with stutters and nerves, but Tsuruno's, true to form, had lacked all of that, simply saying what she needed to say.</p><p>Momoko blushed, giggling loudly, and then Tsuruno did as well as they pulled one another in for a tight hug, not caring that they were sitting on concrete in an alleyway.</p><p>"I can't believe this..." Momoko said, her heart soaring, threatening to beat right out of her chest, blood pumping a mile a minute as she moved to grab one of Tsuruno's hands with her own trembling one. The blush on her face was redder than it probably ever had been as she moved to sit with her back against the wall of one of the buildings on either side of them. Tsuruno sat next to her, holding her hand tightly, her head on Momoko's shoulder.<br/>"Are you okay?" Tsuruno asked, a dreamy tone in her voice.<br/>"Yeah... perfectly fine... the girl I like said she liked me back, how could I be not fine?" Momoko asked, but felt even more embarrased as Tsuruno clarified what she meant.<br/>"No, I mean your Soul Gem. You used that whole Grief Seed on me just now. I have one if you need." Tsuruno said.<br/>"Oh, right, that. You do?" Momoko asked, now even more mortified that she had run out.<br/>"Yeah, hang on." Tsuruno said, peeling herself away from Momoko's warm, lovely grasp to transform back into her school uniform, her bag rematerializing next to her. Unzipping it, she pulled out what was definitely a Grief Seed. Momoko didn't bother to inspect its shape before holding it to her Soul Gem, letting it be purified. Now, a new kind of warmth enveloped her body. She had been cold before, but Tsuruno's heat had more than made up for it.</p><p>She should have known better than to let herself stay like that for long, but the situation made her want to.</p><p>"Thanks." Momoko said, handing it back. It could probably be used a little more. Hopefully.<br/>"Soooooo..." Tsuruno said, looking up at Momoko, a smirk on her face.<br/>"So..." Momoko repeated, wrapping an arm around Tsuruno right after transforming back herself. Smiling brightly, both girls stared at one another for a long moment, losing themselves in the other's eye.<br/>"So..."</p><p>Another long moment passed. Momoko was too caught up staring into Tsuruno's beautiful face that she almost didn't notice that she was leaning closer to her. Tsuruno leaned up a little as well, and before she knew it, the girl's lips were on her cheek once more.</p><p>"Oh... wow..." Momoko said, looking away at that kiss.<br/>"Still great?" Tsuruno asked.<br/>"Yeah. Wanna see?" Momoko asked, looking back to return the favor. Her kiss on Tsuruno's cheek lasted a second longer, and when she pulled away, kept her lips close, not wanting to go too far away. She whispered into Tsuruno's ear. "How was that?"<br/>"Amazing. But my other cheek is jealous now."<br/>"Is it?" Momoko asked, raising an eyebrow. Tsuruno nodded.<br/>"It is!"<br/>"Well I can't leave it hanging now, can I?" Momoko asked. Just as Tsuruno turned her neck to allow Momoko's lips access to her other cheek, Momoko scooted the rest of her body closer, pulling her tighter as her warm, slightly wet lips connected with Tsuruno's cheek. Momoko closed her eyes, losing herself in the contact of Tsuruno's skin. Oh, this was just heavenly... but it had to end eventually. When it did, she found herself staring Tsuruno in the eyes once more.</p><p>"So..." Tsuruno said, smiling widely, not really caring where the conversation was headed.<br/>"So..." Momoko repeated, summoning the courage to ask what was the bravest question of her life. "Tsuruno... do you want to be my girlfriend?"<br/>"Yes! Did you have to ask?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“And then you kissed her?” Mitama’s voice rang out just as cheerily as it always did in her shop. She was sitting on one of her long couches, one leg crossed over the other, hands clasped in her lap. As usual, she was wearing the white gloves of her Magical Girl outfit, blue garment covering her torso, but leaving her legs mostly exposed.<br/>“No, well, not on the lips, anyway.” Momoko’s voice said back. She was sitting on the other side of the little seating area Mitama had set up in her little abandoned building in which she did her contract work. Fortunately, Mitama didn’t have any guests today, so Momoko was able to bug her long time friend about the startling new development in her love life.</p><p>She leaned forward, a goofy smile on her face, hands clasped above her knees, alternating between looking down at them and at Mitama, that dreamy expression on her face no matter where her eyes were cast.</p><p>“Like I said, Mitama, we like, just started dating. Like, a week ago. I can only tell you so much over text messages, so I wanted to tell you in person.” Momoko said.<br/>“Well congratulations. I always knew you swung that way.” Mitama said, smiling brightly at Momoko, who blushed in response, taking a moment to look back down at her hands. At least, she would have if Tsuruno’s bright, smiling face hadn’t invaded her mind’s eye to the point that her vision was pretty much useless.<br/>“Well that makes one of us.” Momoko said back, her voice much lower than before. She had no idea that she even had the capacity to like girls in that way. Once upon a time, there had been a boy she liked… liked enough to ask Kyubey for courage to just talk to him… it had been that same courage that had guided her the last three weeks since Mel’s death. That same courage had guided her to becoming as good friends with Tsuruno as she had… that same courage had led to her confessing romantic feelings to a girl on pretty much the same day she realized she had them. Luckily for her, Tsuruno felt the same way. “Anyway, I haven’t told anybody yet.”<br/>“Oh, so I’m the first one, huh?” Mitama asked, to which Momoko nodded.<br/>“It’s not like I have any other friends, anyway. Mel is dead, and Yachiyo and Mifuyu cut us out of their lives. I’ve only got you now, and I had told you as soon as I could.”<br/>“Not your family?” Mitama asked. Another shake of her head, this one rejecting the question.<br/>“Do you know what my little brothers would say if they found out I had a girlfriend? I’d never hear the end of it. Plus, I don’t know how my parents feel about that. I want to tell them, cause I like Tsuruno, I really do… I guess even magical courage has its limits…” Momoko said, staring forward at Mitama, a serious expression on her face, even if she was still obviously over the moon about the proceedings.</p><p>Mitama hummed for a moment, squinting her eyes, crossing her arms under her chest. Momoko gulped. Mitama was rarely serious, but when she was, she knew better than to not listen. A moment of ear-ringing silence passed, during which Momoko was really afraid of what she’d say. As it turns out, she was right to be.</p><p>“So you and Tsuruno are dating?”<br/>“Yeah.”<br/>“And you’re still going to be on the same team?”<br/>“Yeah.”<br/>“Where you know as well as I do that both of you are going to be put in life-threatening situations every time?” Mitama asked, concern growing in her voice with each question. Momoko sighed, her stomach churning at the prospect of going through that horrifying experience again.<br/>“Yeah. I know, it’s probably stupid. But I want to protect her. She almost died the last time we went hunting, so-“<br/>“So you know how serious this is, then?” Mitama asked. “Momoko, I’m your friend, and I care about you.”<br/>“What are you getting at?”<br/>“Magical Girls don’t have long to live, anyway. So be happy in the time you two have together. And sleep with her at least once?”<br/>“MITAMA!”</p><p>Momoko blushed an intense red and stood up, turning her back on the Coordinator, huffing loudly as it was her turn to fold her arms over her chest. She heard loud giggling from behind her… ugh, she should have known. Mitama was not a serious person, so there had to be something up with how she was reacting to all of this. But despite what was clearly an elaborate setup for a joke, Momoko knew she had a point.</p><p>“I know, I know. You’re already eighteen, that’s pretty impressive, but yeah… we won’t have forever and ever to spend together. Maybe what, three of four years tops? And Tsuruno is a year older than me…” Momoko said, thinking about the more serious aspects of Mitama’s words. “I want to have as much time with her as possible, so I’ll protect her. We’re going to protect each other.”<br/>“That’s the spirit!” Mitama said. Momoko turned around to see that nothing about her had changed. She still had that same smile, in that same pose, the same tone of voice being used in every word.<br/>“Thanks.” Momoko said, sitting back down, still blushing a little bit.<br/>“So anyway, are there any more details? Come on, Momoko, details!” Mitama said.<br/>“I’ve pretty much told you everything there is to say. Oh, that’s right. I did forget one thing. Remember that tiger plushie I told you about?” Momoko asked, when Mitama nodded, she continued. “I named it Cutlet, and I… I cuddle with it every night…”</p><p>As Momoko realized just what kind of information she was letting leak to Kamihama’s biggest gossip-monger, she realized her mistake. Mitama was good at keeping secrets, but if Tsuruno came around like Momoko knew she did on occasion, there was no guarantee that Mitama wouldn’t blab. Momoko held her head in her hands, groaning softly as Mitama giggled.</p><p>“Oh, Momoko, that’s adorable! You should tell her!” Mitama said.<br/>“Nope.” Momoko said back, voice muffled by her two palms. “She doesn’t need to know.”<br/>“But she’s your girlfriend now, isn’t she?”<br/>“Yes, but we’re still like, figuring it out. No dates yet, we haven’t kissed, she’s slept at my place once since then, I really hope we didn’t hold hands or anything where anybody could see.”<br/>“So things are going slowly?” Mitama asked.<br/>“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”<br/>“Well you know my stance on things. I’m not really the type to settle down with anybody, so I don’t think I’ll ever be the kind of happy that you are right now.”<br/>“Then what are you and Kanagi?”<br/>“We aren’t dating, that’s for sure.”<br/>“Right… don’t remind me.” Momoko said, thinking back to a memory that had been pretty unpleasant at the time. Why did she have to see that of all things? Of all the times for her bad timing to activate, why when Mitama and Kanagi were doing… that… here?<br/>“I never told you to leave, you know?”<br/>“Yeah well I wasn’t about to stay!”<br/>“Why not? You like girls, don’t you?”<br/>“I didn’t think I did at the time!” Momoko said. “Besides I don’t know if I’m actually just gay after all or if it’s just Tsuruno I like… but you’re right, I’m never gonna be the kind of happy that you are. I guess we just look for different things out of relationships, don’t we?”<br/>“And is that so wrong? We know what we like, and we both have it!” Mitama said, that usual ring in her voice now more than ever.</p><p>Momoko nodded in response, taking the opportunity to lean back on the couch, arms spread out along the back railing.</p><p>“I’m doing what makes me happy. That’s important to me right now. Me and Tsuruno, we both need happiness in our lives. Losing Mel hurt, and this is helping remedy that.” Momoko said.<br/>“It’s not a reaction to that, is it?” Mitama asked. Momoko shook her head.<br/>“No, I really do like her, and I think she really likes me, too. I think we would have ended up like this with enough alone time even without Mel… you know…”<br/>“I do. Just don’t do something like this for the wrong reasons.” Mitama said.<br/>“I’m not, I swear. She’s…” Momoko let another big, goofy smile appear on her face as she thought about what she was going to say.</p><p>Images of her and Tsuruno having one of their many sleepovers. Flashes of lunches on the roof, thoughts of her at the arcade that afternoon. Every bit of it was lovely, and seeing Tsuruno’s smiling face appear in so many of her memories made Momoko unreasonably happy. Enough to stand up, taking a step closer to Mitama to explain.</p><p>“She makes me so, so happy, Mitama. She’s the last thing I think about before going to bed and the first thing I think about in the morning. When I’m not with her, it hurts. When I am, I feel like I could fly. Holding her hand is my favorite thing to do, period. Mitama… this isn’t a reaction to anything. I swear it isn’t. What we have is new, yeah, but it’s real.” Momoko’s explanation left her smiling and blushing, staring forward expectantly for Mitama’s response.</p><p>The Coordinator smiled wide and clapped her hands together, nodding a few times.</p><p>“Then it’s real.” Mitama said. “I never doubted it would be, I just wanted to give you a hard time over it.”<br/>“MITAMA!” Momoko shouted again, but this time couldn’t keep the stern expression she tried to wear.</p><p>Not when Mitama was laughing already, holding her stomach with one hand, covering her mouth with the other, trying and failing to suppress the sound and motions of her body as she rocked back and forth, giggling. Momoko joined in, sitting on the couch next to her, laughing loudly.</p><p>Momoko’s thoughts went to Tsuruno again, all those times she made her laugh, all those times Momoko wanted to just cuddle her as hard as she could… They were happy memories. And Momoko wasn’t about to let go of those just yet.</p><p>“I know it’s going to be tough, but we’re going to make it work.” Momoko said once the two of them had calmed down.<br/>“I know you will. If anybody can handle a girl as wild and carefree as Tsuruno, it would be you.” Mitama said, sighing loudly, leaning even further back into the couch.<br/>“It’s not like she’s so out of control. She’s just… Mitama, you’ve never fought alongside her before, she’s really smart, I swear. But sometimes… she just lets her impulses get the better of her.”<br/>“I believe you. And someone like that is perfect for you. You should have asked her out sooner.” Mitama said. “I could have set up an adorable date if you needed.”<br/>“I might still need that…” Momoko muttered.<br/>“You still haven’t gone on a date yet, you said?” Mitama asked, one eyebrow raised as Momoko took a side glance at her. She shook her head.<br/>“No. We haven’t. We’ve just kind of been doing more of what we did before. Hanging out during lunch, sleeping over at each other’s place, spending the afternoons together… well, it’s not like those aren’t ‘dates,’ but they’re not date dates, you know? I want something romantic, something that’ll sweep her off her feet. She deserves that.”<br/>“You do too, Momoko.”<br/>“Don’t patronize me…”<br/>“I’m not. But let me help.”<br/>“Oh?”<br/>“What kind of date would you want to go on?”<br/>“Oh, I don’t know. Anything really, so long as it’s her I could go get a cheeseburger at that American place and be perfectly happy with it.”<br/>“Low standards, Momoko.” Mitama said, furrowing her brow at her despite the smile on her face. Momoko smiled back at her.</p><p>“Well…” She said thinking about it. What would she like to take Tsuruno to do? Momoko didn’t really have that many hobbies. She followed idol stuff, she played games at the arcade once in a while, and she hunted witches. Before Tsuruno entered her life the way she did, that was pretty much it. Spending time with her family took up a lot. And Tsuruno was digging into time carved out for all three in the best of ways. “I don’t really know, Mitama. I want her to be happy with what we do, but I want our first real date to be special.”<br/>“Special, huh?” Mitama asked.<br/>“Special.” Momoko said.<br/>“Do you want to kiss her at the end of it?” Mitama asked, and Momoko blushed… but nodded her head anyway.<br/>“I’d like to kiss her. I’ve just kind of been waiting for the right moment. Or for her to kiss me first. She did kiss me on the cheek first…”</p><p>Momoko heard a chuckle come from the opposite end of the couch, watching as Mitama closed her eyes, still covering one hand with her mouth.</p><p>“What?” Momoko asked accusingly.<br/>“Oh, nothing. Like I said, you two are perfect for one another.” Mitama said back.<br/>“Well, thanks.” Momoko said back, smiling at Mitama.<br/>“Just talk with her and let me know what kind of stuff you want to do and I’ll get you two nice and set up!” Mitama said back, and Momoko nodded.</p><p>“I will. Just… don’t go too overboard?” Momoko said, and stood up. Hopefully she could still make it home in time for dinner. But failing that… Banbanzai was always an option…<br/>“Me? Overboard? Momoko do you know me at all?” Mitama asked in that cheery voice that always got Momoko nervous.<br/>“I do, that’s why I’m saying that…” She said back, grumbling a bit before standing up, looking towards the exit.<br/>“Don’t worry, Momoko, I have this aaaaaaaall under control~” Mitama said, watching her friend start to walk towards the door.</p><p>“Anyway, thanks for letting me talk!” Momoko said on her way out.<br/>“For you, Momoko? Anytime! Even better now that you have a girlfriend!”<br/>“What’s that mean?”<br/>“Nothing~”<br/>“Whatever.”<br/>“Byyyeeee!”<br/>“See ya.” Momoko said, stepping back out into the alleyway that she entered from.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey, Tsuruno?”<br/>“Yeah?”<br/>“We should go on a date sometime.”<br/>“You mean we haven’t yet?”<br/>“I, well… not really, right?”</p>
<p>Momoko and Tsuruno were sitting in the former’s room- which was much cleaner than Tsuruno’s usually was, she made sure to point out. Momoko was sitting down on the ground next to her bed, back against it, while Tsuruno was laying on said bed, head leaning off the side right next to her, hair flowing down onto the ground, pooling on the floor a little.</p>
<p>Momoko looked to her side to see Tsuruno’s upside down head staring at her, a confused expression on her face… one that Momoko couldn’t resist but sneak a quick kiss onto one of her cheeks for. By now, the two had given one another enough of those little displays of affection that they no longer caused stiffening or blushing, nor long moments of silence. Each girl accepted the lips of the other on her cheek, and they moved on with a warmth in their stomachs.</p>
<p>“Hanging out during lunch isn’t like, girlfriend stuff, is it?” Momoko asked.<br/>“And the sleepovers?”<br/>“That’s not a date.”<br/>“What about Witch hunting?”<br/>“Technically not a date, since we aren’t doing that to be girlfriends.” Momoko smiled a little each time she said ‘girlfriend,’ still not over the fact that she was with Tsuruno and Tsuruno was with her. It still made her so, so happy.<br/>“What about now, then?”<br/>“You’re spending the night here, right?”<br/>“Yep yep!” Tsuruno said, nodding her head, sending ripples down her hair all the way to the floor.<br/>“Then it’s a sleepover.”<br/>“I guess if you look at it that way we haven’t, but is that a bad thing? I still like you and we’re together and stuff.” Tsuruno said, sliding down the bed, flipping around with speed and precision that only a Magical Girl could have, sitting down next to Momoko. She returned the kiss and grabbed one of her hands. Momoko smiled.<br/>“Yeah, but we haven’t done anything really ‘romantic’ yet.”<br/>“Oh… yeah, that’s a good point. So what did you want to do?” Tsuruno asked.</p>
<p>Momoko wanted to roll her eyes, but she liked Tsuruno too much to actually do that right now. If that was all it took after all the back and forth, then she should have just started with that point. But what’s done is done, and Momoko started to pitch the idea she had.</p>
<p>“Well, I talked to Mitama yesterday, and she offered to like… set up a date for us or something.” Momoko said.<br/>“She did?”<br/>“Yeah.”<br/>“Sounds fun. What did she have in mind?”<br/>“She wanted us to talk about it first. Come up with a few ideas, and she’d make plans for us based on that.”<br/>“Let’s do it, it sounds like it would be fun!” Tsuruno said, leaning her head against Momoko’s shoulder. Momoko, in response, wrapped her arm around Tsuruno’s waist in the little half-hug that they had been so used to. It was comfortable. Having Tsuruno here with her made her feel so, so happy…<br/>“I’ve never been on a real date before, so I wouldn’t even know what to suggest.” Momoko said.<br/>“I haven’t either. I’ve had a lot of boys and a few girls ask me out before. Never went on any.”<br/>“Oh?” Momoko asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “And what makes me so special then?”</p>
<p>Tsuruno couldn’t help but close her eyes, nuzzling even closer into Momoko’s shoulders as she admitted it.</p>
<p>“You’re Momoko. And Momoko is Momoko… and I like Momoko…”<br/>“O-oh… wow…” Momoko looked away, trying to process what she had just heard. That was just too cute for words. Tsuruno normally was too cute for words, but that admittance especially rendered Momoko speechless. </p>
<p>Silence reigned supreme in Momoko’s room as neither girl really knew what to say for a long moment. Momoko felt so unbelievably special after hearing that, and she was sure that Tsuruno hadn’t expected to say something like that. At the end of the day, she could never really figure out Tsuruno’s line of thinking, as whimsical and nonsensical as it could be. But she was sweet and cute and Momoko adored her, and that’s what mattered.</p>
<p>“Soooo…” Tsuruno said to break the silence. “Any ideas?”<br/>“Not really. You?” Momoko asked, only then turning to face her girlfriend…</p>
<p>Her girlfriend… that thought alone brought a huge smile to her face.</p>
<p>“I’ve got an idea or two.”</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Plans were made, the fateful day arriving with as much excitement as dread. Saturday afternoon was pretty much the perfect time for their first date, Momoko thought. No school the next morning, everything was open late, Witch hunting could be finished up for the week the night before… and with family and work duties taken care of, Momoko was free to dress up pretty for her date.</p>
<p>But what to wear? Momoko had spent pretty much the entire night last night rummaging through her wardrobe looking for an outfit that would be good enough. Hell, she was so excited they were going on a date period that she could barely sleep at all last night, but here she was, nine in the morning, still chipper as ever. And still with no idea of what to wear.</p>
<p>She would have worn a dress… maybe… but since she didn’t have one already, and with not enough time to shop around, she knew that would be impossible. Plus, even after Mitama’s encouragement to wear something ‘cute and sexy,’ she still didn’t think she should go overboard on it. So after weighing her options for at least an hour with no progress made so far, plan after plan failed with seemingly no end in sight ...and she finally gave up. Looking at the mess she had made of her normally clean room, clothes everywhere on the bed, a few things on the ground, her closet mostly empty after upending it onto her carpet. Looking on at the cloth carnage, Momoko felt her shoulders sink down and her lungs swell with air; a desperate cry brewing behind her lips.</p>
<p>"'Moooooom?'"</p>
<p>Momoko took one last look at the mess she made, sighing heavily at it. If her mom walked up to see this now, she’d be pretty annoyed, but there was no helping that. She was supposed to meet Tsuruno at her place at noon, and it was inching closer and closer to ten. It couldn’t be helped. So she walked quickly out of her room, downstairs, and into the kitchen, where her mother was standing. </p>
<p>She was a short woman with equally short black hair, bent over the kitchen sink, scrubbing away at what was probably the dirty dishes from breakfast. Momoko felt bad for not helping, but she had her reasons for staying upstairs. She hadn’t even eaten anything, but her stomach could wait. Tsuruno was out there somewhere waiting for her.</p>
<p>“Yes, Momoko?” Her mother turned enough to see her oldest child while still blindly scrubbing at the plate held in both hands. It was obvious that Momoko had found some kind of purchase with just that call a moment ago.<br/>“I… I need some help. You see… I’m…” Momoko paused, unsure of how to tell her mother that she was going on a date, let alone a date with a girl. But she’d manage. Momoko swallowed harshly, knowing that she didn’t wish for courage of all things for nothing. She could do this. One deep breath later, and she clutched her right hand against her chest, summoning every ounce of courage that she had to ask this one question. “I’m going on a date, and I have no idea what I’m supposed to wear, so… so… can you come help? I don’t know who else I can ask now…”<br/>“Well, why didn’t you just say so earlier? I’d be glad to help.” Her mother said, and Momoko breathed a sigh of relief. The tension that had gathered in her chest faded in an instant, sheer elation taking its place as she felt a smile creep up. Turning around, Momoko all but bound back up the stairs to her room, satisfied in the much slower footfalls of her mother, hearing them thump up the steps one at a time until they were both standing in Momoko’s bedroom.</p>
<p>As predicted, her mother wasn’t so impressed with the state of her room, but seeing how she hadn’t commented on it, Momoko had hoped that things were fine, and that she’d forgive her just this once for the sorry state of affairs. It was entirely clothing scattered about, anyway.</p>
<p>“Let’s see… What kind of date is it? Something more casual? Formal? Did you know him from before?” Momoko’s mother asked, and at that one word, Momoko knew there was already a misunderstanding. Her chest tightened at that, but didn’t seek to correct her. Momoko wouldn’t know how to do that.<br/>“Something… more casual, yeah. I think? I dunno, I mean… I definitely want to impress her but I don’t really-” Momoko stopped suddenly when she realized her mistake. As she spoke, she had one hand clutching her opposite elbow, a melancholy look on her face. But that one moment, that one realization that she had let slip exactly what was going on, Momoko’s heart sank, and any hope that her mother would not only approve of the date, but also allow her to go on it in the first place was gone.</p>
<p>But as Momoko looked at her mother with an abject fearful expression, she watched as the older woman only smiled, nodding softly.</p>
<p>“I see. Well, let’s not keep her waiting then. Have you tried anything on yet?” Her mother asked. Momoko’s heart soared with happiness just as much as it was wallowing in confusion. Had she just… yes… right? She had?<br/>“So… you’re… you’re okay with that?” Momoko asked.<br/>“You’re my daughter, and I love you. If this will make you happy, then who am I to get in the way of that?” Her mother replied, and Momoko’s face lit up brighter than a Christmas tree.<br/>“Thank you, thanks so much!” Momoko said, taking a couple quick steps forward to pull her into a hug, giggling a little as her mind went straight to Tsuruno, so, so happy that this was on the up and up.<br/>“You’re very welcome dear. Is it Tsuruno, by any chance?” <br/>“Am I that obvious?” Momoko asked, blushing a little bit and looking away.<br/>“You’ve been playing with her a lot more recently, and now all of a sudden you’re going on a date with a girl? This old lady can’t help but connect the dots.” She said back playfully.</p>
<p>So Momoko nodded, and explained her thought process about her choice of dress quickly to her mother, who offered a few solutions. Option one: Wear something very formal, an idea ultimately decided against. Momoko wanted to look nice, but they were just going on a simple date, nothing too fancy. Option two: A very casual outfit, like what Momoko would wear on a normal Saturday hanging out with her friend. It was certainly an option, but Momoko still did want to look good for her. Which was why she would put on makeup after this for the first time in probably months. Or, option three: Something a little nicer, but still a light outfit that anybody would look good in.</p>
<p>The outfit in option number three seemed the most desirable out of what her mother had found off the floor and the bed after a moment’s digging around. It was a green plaid skirt that went down to her knees- which Momoko knew would match well with a pair of knee-high socks- and a simple white t-shirt. It had a design of a sun on it with a cutesy little smiling face on it. That shirt in particular was mostly just loungewear for her these days. While she was apprehensive about wearing it out in public, her mother had assured her that it would be just fine.</p>
<p>“And Tsuruno would like it.” She said.<br/>“You think so?” Momoko asked, gently grabbing at the shirt, holding it close, trying to picture Tsuruno’s reaction…</p>
<p>
  <i>“Wow Momoko, that shirt’s super cute! How come I haven’t seen it before?”</i>
</p>
<p>The Tsuruno in Momoko’s mental image seemed to love it. So theoretically, the real one would, too. That was the hope, anyway. So with a nod, Momoko decided to give it a try. She wasn’t completely sure about this, but no matter what she had decided to ultimately wear, she would have been at least a little unsure. This was, after all, her first date. She felt completely justified in getting no more than two hours of sleep, being too excited about it the rest of the night. All those hours tossing and turning hadn’t made her all that fatigued in the morning, luckily. One of the perks of having that Magical Girl body.</p>
<p>“I think so, my dear. I’ll leave you to it.” Her mother said in a warm, welcoming voice. Momoko held the shirt in one hand before leaning in for another hug.<br/>“Thanks, mom. This means a lot to me, really.”<br/>“It’s your first date. You’re going to remember this for a long, long time. Be sure to make it special.” Her mother said, causing a bit of a blush to appear on Momoko’s cheeks.<br/>“I will. And… please don’t tell the boys I have a girlfriend. I’ll never hear the end of it.”<br/>“Of course, Momoko. Your secret is safe with me.” Her mother said, slowly heading towards the door.</p>
<p>Momoko watched her leave, closing the door behind her, leaving her alone with a shirt in hand, skirt on her bed, and after two and a half hours of agony, a plan.</p>
<p>--</p>
<p>When Momoko stepped onto Banbanzai’s restaurant floor, she hadn’t expected to see as much of a lunch crowd as she did. It wasn’t anything larger than usual, but the fact that she was pulling Tsuruno away from this suddenly made her feel a little guilty.</p>
<p>“Momoko! Tsuruno’s upstairs!” Tsuruno’s father was delivering a plate of food while a girl Momoko had never seen before was waiting tables on the other end of the floor. With his customer served, the man walked over to the entrance, leaning on the podium Momoko was standing in front of, a wide smile on his face. “You know, it’s nice that you two are going to have some fun. Tsuruno seems much happier now. So thank you.”</p>
<p>Momoko blushed at this, but smiled widely back. If her girlfriend’s father seemed to approve, then that guilt she felt after walking into the door all but vanished.</p>
<p>“It makes me happy, too. You know… it doesn’t bother you that… that…” Momoko trailed off. Dammit, she had worked on this- or rather- wished for this to not happen! But before she could finish her thought, the man laughed even more, waving a hand in front of his shaking head.<br/>“Oh no, no, no. My little girl is the happiest she’s been in years thanks to you. Go have fun, I’ll be okay with it so long as you two had fun.”<br/>“Well, thank you, sir. That means a lot to me.”<br/>“I never thought my daughter would have a girlfriend, but hey, you two are such good friends, I don’t see a problem with it.” The man said to her with an approving nod. He stood up straight, starting to walk over to the kitchen, and Momoko followed after he waved her closer. “She’s upstairs, so if you want to wait for her at an empty table, you can.”<br/>“Thank you, sir. Momoko said.<br/>“And if you want anything while you wait, it’s on the house, got it?” He asked. Another nod as Momoko sat down at the table closest to the door that led upstairs. “Well, I’ve got to get back, I’ve got rice on the stove, don’t want to burn it! Have fun, and take care! Oh, and bring her back by midnight… unless she’s sleeping at your place?”</p>
<p>M-midnight? Momoko blushed even harder at that. Just how long did he think this date was going to be? But at least it was obvious that they had approval from both of their parents, which let a warm pit of satisfaction grow in Momoko’s stomach.</p>
<p>“Maybe, maybe not. We haven’t decided yet!” Momoko called back.<br/>“Okay!” And with that, Tsuruno’s father ducked back behind the curtain that separated the restaurant floor from the kitchen.</p>
<p>A few minutes of waiting later, and the door next to the kitchen opened, and Tsuruno came flying out of it, almost running straight into Momoko, the door slamming behind her. Momoko stood up quickly to catch her- she was leaned so far forward that if not for the blonde’s presence, Tsuruno would have crashed into the table Momoko was sitting at in her apparent haste.</p>
<p>But it wasn’t meant to be, since Momoko caught her, pulling her into a loose hug before pulling her upright, but keeping her arms wrapped around her.</p>
<p>“Oh, hey you…” Tsuruno said. Momoko greeted her with a kiss to her cheek before pulling her up the rest of the way.<br/>“Hey. Ready?” Momoko asked. <br/>“Yeah. Are you?”<br/>“For you? I’m always ready.” </p>
<p>Tsuruno stood up properly, keeping one of her hands in Momoko’s just as the blonde got a good look at her outfit. And…</p>
<p>Damn. She was beautiful. Momoko looked her up and down. She was wearing a dark blue, almost purple shirt with short denim shorts that only covered about half of her thighs. But… the outfit was cute… and with her hair done up in that side ponytail like it usually was, she was pretty much a complete package. The red scrunchie on her wrist only sealed the deal. Her outfit was about as nonsensical as Tsuruno herself sometimes was, but damn if it wasn’t cute as hell…</p>
<p>“See something you like?” Tsuruno asked after they parted somewhat. Momoko had no idea how long they had been standing there for. Long enough, apparently.<br/>“Yeah, you. Come on, let’s go.” Momoko said, giggling a little bit as she took initiative once more, leaning Tsuruno out of the restaurant.</p>
<p>Now on the street outside Banbanzai, Momoko held Tsuruno’s hand tighter, pulling something out of the pocket of her shirt- a little business card for a sushi place not too far from the Coordinator Shop. Tsuruno leaned in closer to look over Momoko’s shoulder as they walked, resting her head on it easily, nodding a few times while deciphering Mitama’s scrawny handwriting.</p>
<p>“She explained the full details to me. Apparently we’re supposed to go here and give this to our waiter. And from there we’ll know what to do next?” Momoko said, furrowing her brow trying to remember what exactly Mitama had told her yesterday.<br/>“Sounds easy enough. Are you hungry?” Tsuruno asked.<br/>“Well, I didn’t eat breakfast…” Or sleep… but that was neither here nor there.<br/>“Me neither. I was too nervous.” Tsuruno admitted.</p>
<p>And Momoko all but stopped in her tracks, staring at the girl walking alongside her. Momoko stepped in front of her to pull her in for a tight hug, a long, soft kiss on her forehead as Tsuruno’s arms reciprocated the embrace. She was just as warm as she always was, this time felt just as special as every other hug had been. When Momoko’s lips parted from Tsuruno’s forehead, Momoko put her own there, looking at her. Tsuruno’s eyes were open, allowing them to make eye contact. Both were smiling.</p>
<p>“It’s me, and it’s you. You don’t have to be nervous. You know… I barely slept last night because I was so excited. I really wanted to finally do this with you, Tsuruno. We’re gonna have fun, so just relax, okay?” Momoko said, not sure how much of that was for Tsuruno’s sake or for her own. Tsuruno nodded, leaving Momoko hoping now that she hadn’t overreacted.<br/>“Don’t worry about it! The Mightiest Magical Girl knows how to contain her nerves. Let’s have fun.”<br/>“Yeah. Let’s.” Momoko said, giving Tsuruno one last kiss on her cheek before she separated, but kept one hand held in hers. As they started walking, Momoko felt Tsuruno return the gesture, a bit of moisture left on her cheek. It felt warm, and then cool as the wind started to blow against it. Perfect contrast to the warmth of her hand constantly in hers. They were going to have fun, Momoko knew.</p>
<p>Especially when it was revealed that Mitama had somehow gotten the two of them a booth all to themselves in the back corner of the restaurant. Momoko handed the business card to the girl working the front, and one glance at Mitama’s handwriting had her nod and bring them to the most secluded spot they had, it seemed.</p>
<p>As Momoko walked through the floor of the restaurant, she couldn’t help but feel a little overdressed for their surroundings. Dim lighting, sleek black furniture and hardwood floors, those guests that were present dressed in at least business casual clothes. Women wore business suits, the men equally well-dressed… and Momoko and Tsuruno were wearing t-shirts.</p>
<p>“You waiter will be right with you, may I take your drink order in the meantime?” The woman asked, and Tsuruno nodded immediately.<br/>“A lemonade, please?” Tsuruno asked.<br/>“I think I’ll just have a water.” Momoko said, looking at Tsuruno across the table, smiling at her.<br/>“Of course, she’ll be with you in a moment.”</p>
<p>The very second they were alone, Momoko leaned forward in her seat, giving Tsuruno a flashed smile, letting one hand drop rather loudly on the table, her fingers drumming on the dark wooden surface quietly. Tsuruno looked at her, then down at her hand, and then back at Momoko’s expectant face before moving her hand on top of the blonde’s, interlocking their fingers. Momoko smiled.</p>
<p>“Hey, you.” She said.<br/>“Hey yourself.” Tsuruno said back, giggling a little bit, tilting her head to the side, and closing her eyes.</p>
<p>“Alright, Madames, one lemonade, and one water. May I take your orders~”</p>
<p>A voice familiar enough to catch Momoko entirely off guard sounded in the quiet, dark restaurant. Enough to make Momoko jump almost entirely out of her seat. She looked to her right to confirm her suspicions as her body panicked in shock.</p>
<p>“Mitama!” Momoko said in a hoarse whisper. “What are you doing here?”<br/>“I’m your waitress for the day, miss~ May I take your order?” She asked. Dodging the question like always, Momoko thought, but didn’t have any real rebuttal to this. Squeezing Tsuruno’s hand, she looked back, smiling nervously. Tsuruno could feel the trembling, and so squeezed it even harder, placing her other atop Momoko’s for additional support. It helped.<br/>“We’re gonna need another minute, I think.” Tsuruno said, before Momoko could say anything. “Actually, just get us the variety platter. I’m not picky, Momoko, are you sweetie?”<br/>“N-no… That’s fine.”<br/>“Very well, one large variety platter coming up~”</p>
<p>Mitama walked away, not having pulled out a notebook to write anything down like waitresses usually did. Just what was going on here?</p>
<p>“Hey…” Tsuruno said softly, puffing out her lower lip when Momoko looked at her. She knew that she probably looked pitiful to Tsuruno.<br/>“I’m okay. I’m just nervous.”<br/>“It’s fine, Momo, it’s you and me. What could go wrong?” Tsuruno asked. Momoko could think of several things that either Mitama or Tsuruno could do to make this go horribly wrong, but she shook it off, trying to focus on the positive. This was a date, after all, and she was kind of ruining the mood.<br/>“You’re right. It’s us. Let’s have fun, right?” Momoko asked, putting a smile on her face that was made better by taking a sip of her water. Tsuruno pumped one fist above Momoko’s hand before patting it back down.<br/>“Right!”</p>
<p>So they waited for a few more moments, during which they mostly just talked. Momoko admitted everything that had happened that morning with both her mother and Tsuruno’s father, explaining just how relieved she was that both were approving of this.</p>
<p>“Soooooo…” Tsuruno said, processing all the information. “They’re cool with it?”<br/>“Yeah, it’s a big load off. I was worried they wouldn’t.” Momoko said.<br/>“Since they do, we don’t have to worry about it. Were you worried?”<br/>“Maybe a little.” Momoko said, nodding her head.<br/>“But our folks are cool with it, so let’s not worry about that!” Tsuruno said, squeezing Momoko’s hand. Momoko nodded.<br/>“You’re right. I just didn’t want to lose you or anything.” Momoko said.<br/>“I’d still date you even if we had to pretend like we weren’t in front of our parents.” Tsuruno said in a whisper, to which Momoko giggled, clenching her free hand underneath the table to avoid shaking nervously. That was so sweet…<br/>“Me too.” Momoko said just as quietly, staring into Tsuruno’s eyes, a warm feeling growing in her stomach.<br/>“So then we should talk about girlfriendy things, right?” Tsuruno asked suddenly.<br/>“Huh? Like what?”<br/>“Like…” Tsuruno started, but the idea petered off as soon as the girl realized she had nowhere to go with it. So she looked up at the ceiling a moment, one arm crossed, the other tapping her chin with her index finger. And then leaned forward in her seat again, both hands on the edge of the table, an excited look in her eyes. “What kind of music do you listen to?”<br/>“Well…” Momoko wasn’t expecting the sudden change in topic, but since they were dating now, and this was a date, then they should probably talk about this kind of stuff sooner rather than later. “I like a lot of idol groups, actually. I really like pop. Call me boring.”<br/>“No way! If you like it, Momo, then I’m sure it’s great! Got any favorites? I’m gonna look some stuff up when I get home!” Tsuruno said. It was endearing, seeing her try so hard. Momoko couldn’t help but be honest.<br/>“Well… I guess my favorite isn’t a group, but a person, err, solo act, I guess. Her name’s Sayuki Fumino, but her stage name is SayuSayu, she’s… a little odd, but her music is just great.” Momoko said. Tsuruno could probably see the smile that crept up onto Momoko’s face just by talking about her favorite musical act for just that long. Momoko didn’t mind any. She wanted Tsuruno to know her likes and dislikes, her ins and outs… oh, she hoped she wasn’t getting ahead of herself. “So what about you?”<br/>“Oh, I’ll listen to pretty much anything. I’m not picky!” Tsuruno said cheerfully.<br/>“Sure, but do you have any favorites?” Momoko asked, leaning forward, curious as to her answer.<br/>“Not really? I think just about anything would sound good, so I’ll listen to just about anything.”<br/>“We’re jamming out later.” Momoko said, winking at Tsuruno.<br/>“Alright!” Tsuruno said, nodding her head and pumping her fist. Momoko couldn’t help but smile. Oh, Tsuruno was adorable. But she didn’t have long to celebrate just how cute her girlfriend- her girlfriend… wow.... was.</p>
<p>Because just then Mitama appeared carrying a large metal dish. It was on one shoulder, one hand supporting it underneath, having to crane her head to one side to balance it properly… Momoko knew that Mitama’s cooking skills were worse than nonexistent, but hopefully she wasn’t clumsy enough to drop the very large plate they were being served on.</p>
<p>“Alright, ladies, here it is~” Mitama said, placing the dish on the table in front of them. On it was a much smaller- though by no means was it small in and of itself- plate with several different pieces of sashimi, plus a few small rolls. And it looked delicious.<br/>“Thanks, Mitama.” Momoko said.<br/>“Happy to help a friend in need.” Mitama said.<br/>“It’s not like I’m not paying you, though.” Momoko said back, looking forward to Tsuruno, then down at their clasped hands. Suddenly, Momoko didn’t feel like it was necessary to eat with her left hand. Besides, she preferred her right anyway.<br/>“You’re paying her?” Tsuruno asked, and Momoko nodded a little as her girlfriend reached for the first bite that either of them would eat- one of the slices of roll.<br/>“Kind of? I mean not with cash, you know what she normally takes.” Momoko said, watching with no small amount of delight as Tsuruno popped the bite into her mouth, chewing with a large smile on her face. “Is it good?”</p>
<p>Tsuruno nodded her head, speaking the moment she was able to swallow enough of the bite to do so.</p>
<p>“It’s great!” Unfortunately for Momoko’s more polite dispositions, Tsuruno had spoken rather loudly, attracting the attention of some of the other customers, who looked their way with annoyed expressions. Momoko could only nervously smile at them and wave with her free hand while Tsuruno chewed on completely oblivious to what she had done.<br/>“Great. But… think we can keep it down a bit? I think this place is nicer than Mitama let on.”<br/>“Huh? Oh, sorry.” Tsuruno said, still chewing her bite. Momoko blushed a little and looked down at her plate, trying to move on from the incredible embarrassment. “You gonna try one?”</p>
<p>This time, Tsuruno whispered, which only made Momoko giggle.<br/>“Yeah!” Momoko said a little louder than she normally spoke, spurred on by Tsuruno’s cuteness, her own hunger, and… Tsuruno’s cuteness. Momoko had a cute girlfriend, okay? She couldn’t help it, but she knew that that exclamation had invited a few more annoyed looks from their fellow customers.</p>
<p>One bite later and Momoko instantly forgave Tsuruno for the exclamation. Wow, this really was delicious! She chewed quickly, not wanting to talk with food in her mouth, but when she looked up, she saw Tsuruno already chewing again, having taken another bite.</p>
<p>So they ate in silence for a few moments. Momoko kept Tsuruno’s hand in hers. A bit unfortunate that she was forcing Tsuruno to eat with her left hand, but she didn’t seem to mind any. Especially when Momoko took the opportunity to grab at a roll and hold it in front of Tsuruno after one of her bites.</p>
<p>“Open up, sweetie~” Momoko said as sweetly as she could, a goofy grin on her face, holding the bite out even closer to Tsuruno’s mouth. Tsuruno craned her adorable face closer, slowly, eventually taking the bite into her mouth all in one, lips rubbing against Momoko’s thumb and index fingers briefly. That moisture felt somehow even better than Tsuruno’s saliva on her cheek after a kiss, somehow even more intimate…</p>
<p>“Wow…” Momoko said, staring down at her fingers.<br/>“Mhmm!” Tsuruno grunted, nodding vigorously, though Momoko hadn’t noticed, focused only on the feeling that Tsuruno’s lips had left on her hand. That felt…</p>
<p>Amazing… and Momoko didn’t know why… but she knew that she wouldn’t mind more of that. If this was what just touching her lips with her fingers was like…</p>
<p>Then what would it be like to kiss those lips?</p>
<p>“Is everything okay?” Mitama’s voice once more cut Momoko’s daydreams in half, the clouds in front of her eyes dissipating in favor of a beautiful face looking off to the side. And then Momoko turned away from looking at Tsuruno to see Mitama standing there.<br/>“Yeah, everything’s fine. I think we were almost done, actually.” Momoko said.<br/>“I thought as much. Here’s the check- which was taken care of by yours truly, but if you wanted the receipt, it’s there. And this is your next step. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a two o’clock appointment to prepare for~”</p>
<p>And with that, she walked away about as easily as she had walked up.</p>
<p>“Well… that works.” Momoko said, not having expected Mitama to cover the cost of lunch, but when Momoko was paying her three Grief Seeds out of the reserves she had at home- which was almost her whole stash, by the way, and totally worth it- it made enough logical sense that she didn’t question it. Grief Seeds were worth more than any number of variety platters from upscale sushi restaurants.</p>
<p>But inside the folded paper of the check, Momoko found something else.</p>
<p>Another business card, but this time, a fish hook dangling off a piece of green twine that was stapled to it.</p>
<p>“Daito Rowing Company, huh?” Momoko said under her breath, holding their newest hint.<br/>“Huh?” Tsuruno asked. Momoko looked up and held out the card.<br/>“Careful, there’s a hook on it.”<br/>“I see it, thanks Momo.” Tsuruno said, taking the card from her to read the words Momoko had just seen. “So is this where we’re going next?”<br/>“I suppose so. Ever been fishing?”<br/>“A couple of times with my dad. It’s fun, and…” Tsuruno trailed off, handing the card back to Momoko.<br/>“I’ve never been.” Momoko said, now noticing the nervous expression on Tsuruno’s face. Hopefully she hadn’t struck some kind of nerve on accident, so Momoko quickly dropped the line of conversation.<br/>“And it’s a really nice way to just be alone and talk with someone.” Tsuruno said, smiling once the nerves had subsided.<br/>“Well…” Momoko said, thinking. “That sounds lovely, doesn’t it?”<br/>“It does.” Tsuruno said.</p>
<p>So with a plan for after lunch, Momoko and Tsuruno ate what little food remained on their communal plate, afterwards Momoko shot a quick proposition out.</p>
<p>“Are you ready?”<br/>“Yep yep!” Was the answer, Tsuruno once more drawing attention to herself. </p>
<p>It seemed that being in the back corner of such a dimly lit room hadn’t made them any less noticeable. Tsuruno hopped out of her seat, Momoko quickly followed, now very self-conscious of their choice of clothing. Being surrounded by suit-clad individuals on their way out the door was less comfortable than Momoko would have liked, but once they were back out in the Kamihama midday sun, Momoko could relax a little more.</p>
<p>“Achoo!” Next to her, still holding Momoko’s hand, Tsuruno sneezed, covering her nose with her free hand. Wiping it on her clothed hip, Tsuruno bounced up the moment she had recovered.<br/>“Bless you.”<br/>“Thanks. Ready?”<br/>“Ready.”</p>
<p>And off they went.</p>
<p>Arriving at Daito Ward after jumping a few buildings while transformed and taking a train over didn’t take them longer than twenty minutes or so. When they got to the address- a building little more than a shack in front of a lake, they knew exactly what they were getting into.</p>
<p>It wasn’t a place to rent fishing equipment at all, no.</p>
<p>“So we can rent a canoe and just like, go row out on the lake?” Tsuruno asked the attendant, a girl a little younger than them, but obviously very versed in what she was doing, if her explanation was even slightly an indication of that.<br/>“Precisely, it’s usually a romantic venture, but I don’t see why friends can’t do it, as well.” Momoko looked at the girl who was speaking to them, and had half a mind to pull up the hands that were clasped between herself and Tsuruno when her girlfriend did the work for her.<br/>“Oh, we’re actually on a date, so it’s fine!” She said cheerily, giggling a little.<br/>“Excuse me?” The girl asked, a blush on her face. She turned around, quickly looking for something while Tsuruno spoke again.<br/>“Me and this cutie here are girlfriends, and we’re on a date!” Tsuruno insisted. Momoko smiled nervously, squeezing Tsuruno’s hand.</p>
<p>‘Don’t make her too nervous.’ Momoko said through telepathy. Tsuruno looked back at her, smiling and winking, which caused Momoko to smile back.<br/>‘But I like you and I want everyone to know that!’</p>
<p>“Thanks, sweetie.” Momoko said out loud.<br/>“Noooooooo problem!” Tsuruno said much loudly, making the poor worker even more nervous than before.<br/>“Th-this way, I’ll s-show you to the dock…”<br/>“Oh yeah, we have this, too!” Tsuruno said, handing the girl the business card with the fishhook on it. The girl nodded, taking both the card and the hook attached with shaking hands, putting it in a front pocket of the apron she wore.</p>
<p>One quick and incredibly tense explanation on how to row later, and Momoko was taking Tsuruno out onto the lake.</p>
<p>“It’s really weird how there were movie tickets in the boat, huh?” Tsuruno asked suddenly. She was sitting in the middle seat of the boat, Momoko closer to one end, oars in hand, having volunteered to row them out there.<br/>“What do you mean?” Movie tickets? In a boat? That wasn’ the craziest thing she had ever heard, and Tsuruno was no liar.<br/>“Yeah, look.” Tsuruno said. When Momoko looked back at her for the first time since pushing off- having been looking either past Tsuruno at their destination or down at her hands, trying to synchronize herself enough to not veer off course- the girl was holding something up.</p>
<p>Two of them, they were, little grey, off-white slips of paper with blocky text printed on it. Sure enough, those were movie tickets.</p>
<p>“Mitama…” Momoko said under her breath, chuckling.<br/>“Is that what we’re doing next?” Tsuruno asked.<br/>“I guess so. What time are they for?” Momoko asked back.<br/>“Two.” Tsuruno said.<br/>“Well, we’ll have time, right?” Momoko asked. “We haven’t been here long, so let’s just enjoy this for now.”<br/>“Yep yep!” Tsuruno said loudly. This time, Momoko didn’t mind that as much. Or at all. They had an entire lake to themselves. Literally. Nobody else was out here. And if not for the fact that Momoko was enjoying every precious moment here with Tsuruno, she might have considered it a shame. The sun was shining brightly on a cloudless summer day, it wasn’t too hot, and the wind was blowing just softly enough to give the atmosphere around them a little extra character. </p>
<p>And it blew Tsuruno’s hair softly. That was the best part. She looked beautiful with her hair tossing a bit in the wind. Absolutely beautiful.</p>
<p>At some point, Tsuruno must have noticed Momoko staring at her, and stared back with that bright, cheerful expression that Momoko so desperately loved.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Tsuruno said, breaking the silence. Momoko had no idea how long they had sat there, leaned forward, staring at one another, smiling.<br/>“Hey yourself.” Momoko said back in an exchange that was becoming increasingly common.<br/>“So…”<br/>“So…”<br/>“Have you been alright?” Tsuruno asked. Whatever concern that she might have had was lost unto Momoko, who rested her chin on one hand, staring at her girlfriend dreamily, speaking with her head in the clouds.<br/>“Yeah… just great…” Momoko said with a tone just as lovestruck. Tsuruno couldn’t help but giggle.<br/>“Me too. I’ve been… you know, Momoko…” Tsuruno said, taking a moment to smile at her blonde beauty. In that time, Momoko had a sudden idea, standing up and crossing the small distance that separated them, moving to sit next to her on the wooden bench rather than across from her.<br/>“What do I know?” Momoko asked, wrapping an arm around Tsuruno’s back, hand on the waist opposite her.</p>
<p>Tsuruno giggled a bit, giving Momoko a kiss on the cheek before she finished her thought.</p>
<p>“You’ve made me so, so happy recently. Like, I don’t know what I would have done without you. It had been awful hearing what happened, and you were there for me. You saw me freak out, you saw me be the person that I hate being but can’t help… and even after you saw all that…” Tsuruno stopped her impromptu speech to caress both of Momoko’s cheeks in her hand, looking deep into her eyes, a warm smile on her face. </p>
<p>Momoko felt Tsuruno’s hands on her cheeks, and couldn’t help but notice just how warm they were. They were soft, yet somehow firm. Warm, yet somehow a blazing inferno of emotion. Momoko knew that there was more to Tsuruno than met the eye, and yet her words were still catching her by surprise.</p>
<p>“And even after you saw all that, you’re still here. So thank you.” Tsuruno finished, bringing Momoko’s face closer to hers, resting their foreheads together.</p>
<p>And all felt right in the world.</p>
<p>Momoko closed her eyes, putting one hand close to her face, caressing one of Tsuruno’s as she did.</p>
<p>“You were my friend. I didn’t want to lose you just as much as you didn’t want to lose me. Screw what Yachiyo said, screw what Mifuyu said, we were friends and I wasn’t about to abandon you.” Momoko said, feeling her cheeks flush even hotter inside of Tsuruno’s caress.<br/>“Momoko…” Was all Tsuruno could say.</p>
<p>It was all she needed to say too, Momoko knew. They could sit there silently, just holding one another, listening to the sounds of each other breathing, and Momoko knew they both would have been happy to be doing it. In, out, in, out, their breath eventually synchronizing. Sweat started to pour down Momoko’s forehead at the constant contact in the summer sun, her face heating up even more, sandwiched in between two very hot palms. But Momoko didn’t care. This was the most comfortable she had ever been. An unsteady wooden seat with no back in the blazing midday sun, and Momoko could not possibly be more comfortable.</p>
<p>Because she had Tsuruno there with her. All was right in the world.</p>
<p>“Hey…” Momoko finally said.<br/>“Hey yourself.” Tsuruno said back, stealing her line.<br/>“What movie did Mitama get us tickets for, anyway?”<br/>“Nothing, really.” Tsuruno said without breaking their little embrace.<br/>“Huh?”<br/>“It’s called ‘A life of a Snail.’”<br/>“Seriously?”<br/>“Yeah.”<br/>“Mitama, why?” Momoko said, wondering aloud, which only made Tsuruno giggle.<br/>“Wanna just skip it? I’m having fun out here.”<br/>“Yeah… but it’s kind of hot. Wanna go find some shade?”<br/>“Sure thing.” Tsuruno said. </p>
<p>It took more strength than it should have for Momoko to stand up and go back to her seat to row them to shore, beaching the boat in the dirt next to the pier they had come from. Since Mitama had taken care of the monetary expenses for lunch, Momoko had figured that since the girl working hadn’t asked for their fee that this was fine, as well.</p>
<p>So they looked around the shore of the lake for any kind of shade. It didn’t take long for Tsuruno to point over to a few trees on a hill overlooking the lake.</p>
<p>“Perfect.” Momoko said.<br/>“Race you there!” Tsuruno suddenly cried out, already in a dead sprint by the time the last word left her lips.<br/>“Oh, you’re on!” Momoko said, taking off after her.</p>
<p>Their unnaturally fast Magical Girl bodies made it halfway around the perimeter of the lake to sit underneath those trees in no time, Momoko not having the speed to catch up to Tsuruno before she purposefully tumbled down onto the ground. When Momoko arrived, the girl was laying down on her back, arms spread out wide, calm as could be. Momoko laid down wordlessly next to Tsuruno, snuggling up close, using one shoulder as a pillow.</p>
<p>“I win…” Tsuruno said, smiling as she looked at Momoko.<br/>“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Momoko said in a teasing tone.<br/>“So…” Tsuruno said, looking out on the horizon.</p>
<p>Momoko hadn’t noticed before, but the sun was getting dangerously low in the sky. Had they really been out on the lake for that long? What did it matter? They were both having fun, it seemed. So… yeah, not at all. Besides, it was a date. They were supposed to be having fun. This was literally the point, missed movie and potentially cutting off a majority of whatever scavenger hunt Mitama had set up for them. Which was fine.</p>
<p>“Do you want to start heading back?” Momoko asked, kissing her cheek, dreading the answer. She was relieved when Tsuruno shook her head.<br/>“No. I just wanna stay here with you.” Tsuruno said, and Momoko nodded slowly.<br/>“Okay.”<br/>“Besides, it’s a beautiful day today, isn’t it?” Tsuruno asked.<br/>“Just like you.” Momoko muttered under her breath on instinct, but blushed the moment Tsuruno perked up at that, smirking a little bit.</p>
<p>“What was that?” Tsuruno asked. “I don’t think I heard you.”<br/>“I said… I said you’re beautiful.” Momoko said, looking Tsuruno in the eye that time. She leaned in a little closer, pulling herself into an almost tight hug now. The courage that had failed her so many times before working in full force to make sure her feelings were known.<br/>“Huh? Sorry, I think I have something in my ear. Can you say that again?” Tsuruno said, smiling even wider now. Momoko knew what she was up to, but that didn’t stop her from playing along anyway.<br/>“I said I think you’re beautiful.” Momoko said a little louder. They were at the top of a hill in the middle of Daito Ward, pretty much surrounded by a little natural alcove on all sides. They were truly alone… but Momoko knew she would play along with this little game even if they were in the middle of a crowded sidewalk.<br/>“Momoko, you really need to work on projecting, you know. My ears just don’t work sometimes, repeat that?” She said, and they both took a moment to giggle.<br/>“I SAID!” Momoko all but shouted. “YOU’RE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD!”</p>
<p>Smiles present on both girl’s faces as Momoko leaned in a little closer. Her breath hitched, realizing that Tsuruno had done the same, opening her lips just enough to make a certain mental image flash through her mind. And Momoko realized in that instant she wanted to lean in and close the gap between them completely. Oh, how she wanted to. Her hand went to the top of Tsuruno’s cheek as their lips came together even closer, now barely separated. Tsuruno wasn’t breathing either, both of their faces were red as could be, and yet neither was moving away from the embrace they held, laying in the shade on the grass. This was comfortable, and yet the suspense was killing her.</p>
<p>“I mean it. You really are beautiful.” Momoko whispered, finally leaning forward that last little bit to connect their lips together. And it was electrifying. The feeling of Tsuruno’s lips on hers was unlike any other. Being that close to someone, having the feeling of another’s body close enough to you, being confident enough in one another’s friendship to take the jump into more than just friends… Momoko really did like this girl, and knew that Tsuruno felt the same. When the kiss broke, Momoko smiled widely at her.</p>
<p>“Wow, that was…” Momoko couldn’t find the words to describe what she had just felt.<br/>“That was pretty wow, yeah…”<br/>“Yeah…”<br/>“I want another.” Tsuruno said, and Momoko nodded.<br/>“As many as you want, Tsuruno.”</p>
<p>It was dry, though, and Momoko had always been told kisses were wet… but after pulling away that first time, saw that Tsuruno’s lips were parched… and hers felt it. That was forgivable.</p>
<p>But as Tsuruno leaned in for their second kiss, Momoko licked her lips once, moistening them, and that issue went away. Aha. There was that feeling that the movies always described. Having Tsuruno’s lips against hers brought back that fire in her heart, stealing her breath away again as the rest of the world melted, leaving only the feeling of Tsuruno’s body pressed onto hers as the only thing that mattered. Momoko closed her eyes, sighing happily. She could smile, she could laugh, she could jump for joy from rooftop to rooftop right now, but the only place she wanted to be was here in the sunset with Tsuruno… kissing.</p>
<p>They were kissing! It was actually happening! Momoko could barely believe it! The second kiss ended, and the two of them giggled once before they each leaned in for a third. And then a fourth, each as incredible and intense as the last had been. Momoko stopped listening to the sounds of the outside world, the smacks of her and Tsuruno’s lips against one another the only thing she cared enough to listen to. The feeling of the soft skin of her cheek and neck as Momoko moved her hand slowly from one to the other, feeling her hand on her own cheek, feeling it move to the back of her neck to keep their heads locked in place, continuing the kiss, feeling the grass sting at Momoko’s arm and knee, begging for release that wouldn’t come… all of it was incredible, and she wanted more.</p>
<p>Deep breathing through her nose ruled, not daring to break the kiss for anything. Momoko moved one hand to the back of Tsuruno’s head, returning the favor as they lost each other in the taste of the other’s mouth, a fistful of that auburn hair Momoko so loved. Tsuruno opened her mouth, and Momoko could feel the other girl’s tongue on her lips. Tsuruno sighed, and Momoko sighed back, happy as could be, pulling her in even tighter.</p>
<p>Even though neither knew what they were doing, they both liked it enough to keep going, even when the kisses intensified. Quicker, harder, lips smacking even louder now, happy little sighs escaping them more frequently. This was fun. This was so, so fun, and neither wanted to leave the embrace. So they kept going.</p>
<p>And they kept going. At some point, Momoko had pushed Tsuruno onto her back, climbing atop her to kiss her from a different angle, kneeling above her now, both hands on her cheeks, pulling her chin up to crash their lips together even further. And Momoko never wanted it to end.</p>
<p>When they finally separated, Momoko lifted her head up, giving the most amount of space between their lips in what felt like hours, yet Momoko’s mouth was already tingling, lips already missing the feel of Tsuruno’s gorgeous pink ones.</p>
<p>“Hey…” Momoko whispered, smiling widely down at her as her thumb wiped across Tsuruno’s cheek.<br/>“Hey yourself…” Tsuruno whispered back.<br/>“It’s getting late. We should go.” Momoko said. Tsuruno sighed. Momoko didn’t want to leave any more than Tsuruno did, but at this rate they’d end up staying up all night kissing one another underneath this tree… which honestly didn’t sound like such a bad thing.<br/>“I know… just a few more kisses?” Tsuruno asked.<br/>“You don’t gotta ask me twice.”</p>
<p>And like nothing had happened, Momoko brought her face back down against Tsuruno’s, kissing softly, sweetly, affection on display now more than it had ever been that day so far. Momoko didn’t know how many hundreds of kisses they had shared. All she knew was that each one was a precious memory in her mind, one that wouldn’t be easily forgotten… one last kiss, and Momoko separated, rolling off of her, breathing heavily.</p>
<p>And then it was Tsuruno’s turn to sit up, leaning down to kiss Momoko who was flat on her back.</p>
<p>“What happened to…” Kiss. “Going home…” Another kiss. “Anyway?”<br/>“I am home…” Momoko said dreamily, reaching for one of Tsuruno’s hands. She brought it up to her lips and kissed the girl’s knuckles rather than her face, which was another incredible experience that sent shivers up her spine almost as much as those mouth to mouth kisses had.<br/>“W-wow…” Tsuruno whispered, leaning in for another soft, slow kiss. When it broke, Tsuruno stared into Momoko’s eyes. “You’re right. When I’m with you, I am home...”</p>
<p>A long moment passed, Momoko on her back, Tsuruno propped up on one elbow, staring at one another, goofy smiles on both their faces.</p>
<p>“Hey…”<br/>“Hey…”<br/>“We really should be going.” Momoko said.<br/>“But I don’t wanna…” Tsuruno said, faking a pout, but was unable to hold the expression for long in favor of another giggle.<br/>“I don’t either, but your dad is gonna worry.”<br/>“You’re right...” Tsuruno said, sitting up slowly. Momoko did the same, and they got to their feet at once, reaching for one another’s hand.</p>
<p>And they started walking.</p>
<p>The walk back to Shinsei Ward and Banbanzai had been mostly quiet, though there were spats of conversation, bits of laughter as they recounted what had happened that day, and of course, more than a few times when they had stopped walking to hold one another. Sometimes they kissed, sometimes they just felt comfort in the other’s closeness.</p>
<p> When they finally got back to the restaurant, Momoko stood at the doorway, still holding Tsuruno’s hand, unwilling to let go.</p>
<p>“So this is where we part for the night, huh?” Momoko asked.<br/>“I guess so…” Tsuruno said, taking a step forward, closing the gap that lay between them.</p>
<p>Tsuruno initiated a kiss, one that felt just as sweet, just as heartfelt as all the ones before it had. Momoko returned the kiss happily, hands on both of Tsuruno’s hips. When they broke it, Tsuruno took a few quick steps back, waving at her, fingers waggling.</p>
<p>“I had fun today, Momoko.”<br/>“Yeah, me too…” She said.<br/>“Let’s do that again sometime, okay?”<br/>“Absolutely. I already can’t wait.”<br/>“Me neither.”</p>
<p>At that, Momoko took those steps forward to once more close the distance, their lips locked in a loving heat once more, eyes closed tightly, hearts racing fast.</p>
<p>“Okay… I’m going… bye.” Momoko said once this new kiss ended, blushing, but looking Tsuruno right in the eye, a stupid grin on her face.<br/>“Alright. Bye. See you tomorrow, right?”<br/>“Yeah. Tomorrow.” Momoko said. Never mind that tomorrow was Sunday and that there wasn’t any school. They’d see each other. Momoko would go over at the crack of dawn if that’s what it took.<br/>“Bye.”<br/>“Bye.”</p>
<p>With that, Tsuruno opened and shut the door to the restaurant.</p>
<p>And Momoko skipped all the way home, hours of fond memories playing through her head on repeat.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A week had passed since Tsuruno's date with Momoko, and the Mightiest Magical Girl could not be happier with how things had gone since then. They had gone on what was more or less a stunningly successful date. They had kissed... they had done a lot of kissing in the week after, much to Tsuruno’s satisfaction. It solidified Momoko as the one person that she wanted to be with, the one person she could trust more than anybody else on this Earth. Tsuruno had been told that she would know instantly if you could love someone right after your first kiss with them, and her first kiss with Momoko had been one of the highlights of her entire life. But even before then, Tsuruno just knew that she'd want to spend every moment of every day by Momoko's side.</p><p>Unfortunately, she couldn’t be by Momoko's side at the moment. On top of having classes to study for, Witches to hunt down and kill, and a girlfriend to keep happy, Tsuruno also worked a good deal at Banbanzai. Her father, as it turned out, had hired a new waitress just to make sure that Tsuruno wouldn't be tied down all the time - to make sure that she had as much time to spend with Momoko as she wanted. Tsuruno had insisted that he not do so for such a selfless sake, but the man insisted on it, which his daughter was eternally grateful for. Having time to spend with Momoko like that was something that she always looked forward to, from the time they parted ways up until the very moment Tsuruno's eyes caught wind of that beautiful blonde head of her lovely girlfriend.</p><p>Right now was one of those times that she just couldn't be pulled away from Banbanzai. In a literal sense, she wasn't at the restaurant, but their new waitress was waiting tables, Tsuruno's father was cooking, and Tsuruno herself was out on the Kamihama streets fetching groceries.</p><p>"Alright..." Tsuruno said, looking down at the shopping list her father had given her. It was only a few things, but they needed quite a bit of it to last through the dinner rush. Twenty pounds of rice, five pounds of green onion, and one of those large bottles of sesame oil. It wasn't too much for her to carry, fortunately. She had made trips like this several times before - her father always had his hands far too full with cooking the meals, which left her in charge of procuring ingredients.</p><p>"I can do this! Even faster than last time!" Tsuruno pumped the fist not holding the paper as she took off down the street, a dead sprint headed a long ways down Sankyo Ward toward the grocery store. Running had always been easy for her. With so much energy on such a regular basis even before becoming a Magical Girl, contracting and getting superhuman speed, strength, and senses only exacerbated what many around her who were less than fond of her antics would consider a "problem." Yachiyo... at least, when Tsuruno was still allowed to associate with her, would always try to pump the brakes on her energy levels. Yachiyo was a tough fighter, but Tsuruno thought she could be a bit of a downer sometimes... especially now...</p><p>But she wasn't going to let that get to her. Shaking her head, Tsuruno rushed forward even faster, pushing the thought of Yachiyo out of her mind. Momoko. That was the girl she wanted to focus on. Even all that’d happened with Mel and Yachiyo and Mifuyu and the Witches,  Momoko was still there beside her... maybe even closer than that, now. </p><p>Tsuruno couldn't help but giggle with excitement, her heart beating even faster, her body pushing her onward as that beautiful face caught the attention of her mind's eye. The way they stood at nearly identical heights, the way her body felt against hers, the warmth of her hand every time Momoko casually slid it into hers... it was enough to make Tsuruno jump for joy, but she wasn't jumping right now. Not when her dad and her new coworker were depending on her to get rice, among other things.</p><p>If Tsuruno had been thinking about Momoko any harder, she might have missed it. As she ran around a street corner, hanging a left four blocks down from her place, it stood there in broad twilight: A Witch's Labyrinth. </p><p>Damn. </p><p>Literally skidding to a halt, Tsuruno looked at it- the black, ominous thing that it was just hanging suspended in midair like that. She looked back down the road, off toward the grocery store, and then back at the Labyrinth. Tsuruno didn't know what to do. Come on, Tsuruno, think! Labyrinth, rice, Labyrinth, rice... ugh. </p><p>She knew in her heart of hearts that going into that Labyrinth to at least see what was up was the right thing to do. WIthout Momoko, she knew it was that much more dangerous, but she just couldn't bring herself to pass it up. So she crossed the street the moment she made sure there were no cars coming, transformed, and jumped in headfirst.</p><p>When she landed, she was greeted with a landscape that seemed particularly unfriendly to herself and Momoko- or their powers, at least.</p><p>It was snowing. And it was cold. It didn’t help that Tsuruno’s magical girl uniform was about as well suited for a snow day as a cactus. Her skin crawled with goosebumps. She took her fans out and ignited them, hoping they’d bring some kind of warmth. As they got going,she looked around--</p><p>And saw a single Magical Girl already here. Perfect. That was sure to speed things along. Tsuruno ran towards her and the Familiar she was fighting off. It was a short, stout little thing without any arms. A key for its body, bright golden it was. Simple enough to beat, Tsuruno knew, especially with a little help. As she ran up, the Magical Girl in question didn't seem like she needed much help, but Tsuruno wasn't about to only offer help if it was absolutely needed. She was here to fight, and fight she would.</p><p>Kicking hard against the snow-covered ground, Tsuruno flipped backwards in the air while retaining her forward momentum, spitting hot fire forwards towards the key-shaped Familiar. Landing in stride, Tsuruno watched as the thing caught fire, scrambling around as the other Magical Girl landed the final blow.</p><p>Using her voice.</p><p>And it was a beautiful voice, as well. Only, it seemed to be particularly harmful to the Familiar, who literally exploded into a ball of flames and musical notes, remnants of which charred the ground.</p><p>Tsuruno skidded to a halt once more- though this time abetted by the slick, snowy ground- a short enough distance away from the girl to speak to her without having to raise her voice. Tsuruno smiled and waved at her with one hand, letting one of her fans dissipate for long enough to do so.<br/>"Hello! I'm Tsuruno Yui, the Mightest Magical Girl! And I'm here to help!" Tsuruno cried out, nodding her head true to form.<br/>"Well thank you, Tsuruno. My name is Sayuki Fumino. It's nice to meet you~" The girl said. Now that both of them were standing still, Tsuruno got a good look at her. Short, peach-colored hair, a warm, inviting expression, just a bit shorter in stature than Tsuruno was... and that name... that name *really* sounded familiar.<br/>"Sayuki... Sayuki... Sayuki Sayuki..." Tsuruno said out loud, brow furrowed, looking on at her fellow Magical Girl.</p><p>And then it hit her.</p><p>"Oh!" She yelled loudly. "You're SayuSayu!"<br/>"Indeed I am. Always a pleasure to meet a fan, especially a fellow Magical Girl!" The girl said, giggling and taking a short bow.<br/>"Well, no offense, but I'm not really a fan. I mean, I probably would be but I haven't listened to any of your music yet. My girlfriend talks about you every now and then, so that name definitely sounded familiar!" Tsuruno said.<br/>"Your girlfriend?" Sayuki asked.<br/>"Yep yep! Momoko Togame! She's another Magical Girl, and the cutest, most beautiful one in the world!" Tsuruno said again, even more excited now to have a chance to brag about her girlfriend.<br/>"Well, I'm glad. Though we should save the chitchat for later. For now, we've got company!" Sayuki said, starting to sing loudly again in the direction of another veritable horde of Familiars headed their way. It seemed that one was just a forerunner. Now, there were ten, twenty, thirty headed their way... so Tsuruno readied her other fan, crouching low into a fighting stance.<br/>"Yep yep! Chat later, fight now!" Tsuruno called back, doing another backflip- this one in place- sending even more flames shooting forward.</p><p>When she was talking about Momoko or fighting, it seemed, it was easy to pretend like it wasn't freezing cold here. Sayuki's outfit was a little better in that respect, but still left a lot to be desired in terms of warmth- but at least her midriff wasn't exposed like Tsuruno's was! But she didn't have time to be jealous, not when her flame kicks could only stop so many of them from reaching the two where they stood.</p><p>"My magic is support magic!" Sayuki sang in Tsuruno's direction, who looked back at her for a split second.<br/>"What's that mean?" Tsuruno asked, slashing at a Familiar with both fans, no longer needing an explanation. "Whoa! Cool!"</p><p>When Tsuruno went to strike the golden key on legs, she felt her arms grow lighter than air, her body swinging forward at a speed and strength that she couldn't produce even when using up a fair bit of her own magic. So Sayuki kept singing Tsuruno's way. And almost instantly, Tsuruno understood why Momoko liked this chick's tracks so much. She was a good singer.</p><p>But having tunes while fighting didn't make it a walk in the park. When their surroundings were a winter hellscape and surrounded on all sides by malevolent keys poking at her violently, it was hard to be carefree. Tsuruno took fighting very seriously, fortunately for the two of them. It was obvious to her that she'd have to keep their foes away from Sayuki. She could probably fight on her own, but the extra strength she was receiving from the apparent Idol needed to be enough to keep a steady ring around the two of them long enough to take care of everything.</p><p>And it was. Fireball after fireball, slash after slash, Tsuruno took down the Familiars one, two, ten at a time. Eventually, they all fell.</p><p>And with the last one, so did the Labyrinth.</p><p>Tsuruno hadn't expected to be pulled from it with such short notice, but a split second after she struck the last standing Familiar with her fans, the Labyrinth collapsed, depositing both her and Sayuki on the street corner where the entrance had formerly been.</p><p>They both transformed quickly, looking around to make sure that nobody had seen. Fortunately, the sun was getting a little lower in the horizon, and that particular intersection was for the moment abandoned.</p><p>"Thanks for the help, Tsuruno!" Sayuki said in a cheerful tone, smiling at her.<br/>"No problem! Glad I could help!" Tsuruno said back.<br/>"So do you think you would want to do that again some time?" Sayuki asked, and Tsuruno immediately nodded.<br/>"Yep yep! I normally go hunting with Momoko, but I think she'd love to meet you. Maybe the three of us could make a good team!" Tsuruno said.</p><p>"I'll do you one even better."<br/>"What's up?"<br/>"Does your Momoko have tickets to my concert next week?" Sayuki asked, and Tsuruno shook her head.<br/>"Nope. She mentioned wanting to go but wasn't able to order fast enough. Something about losing cell service while tickets were on sale or something? She was really upset." Tsuruno said. Fortunately, she didn't have to lie about that.</p><p>This was basically the perfect opportunity- the perfect coincidence- that would make Momoko even happier than the happiest girl on earth. Tsuruno needed to make sure that this went well. Judging by Sayuki's initial question, her prowess in battle had already done that for her.</p><p>"Well, I have a few backstage passes with me. If you want, you can bring her to my show and we can talk about it then?" Sayuki asked. For the first time, Tsuruno noticed that slung across Sayuki’s chest was a small clutch purse. She opened it up, reached her hand inside, and, after a few moments of fishing around, pulled out two slips of paper that were much longer than the standard event tickets Tsuruno was used to seeing, but the intent was clear nonetheless. Sayuki held them forward, and Tsuruno stared at them for a moment, taking them slowly.<br/>"Momoko's going to love this!" Tsuruno said, a smile on her face forming that was infectious enough to make Sayuki smile as well. "Thank you so much!"<br/>"We Magical Girls have to stick together, right? And besides, you're really friendly. I'm sure Momoko is great, too!" Sayuki said.<br/>"Yeah, we've got to... I wish we would more..." Tsuruno said, rather unpleasant thoughts of Yachiyo and Mifuyu running through her head as she spoke. Sayuki stepped forward and placed a hand on Tsuruno's shoulder, squeezing it.<br/>"Whatever's bothering you, don't worry about it. We're friends now, right?" Sayuki asked.<br/>"We... yeah. Friends." Tsuruno said with a nod of her head, her smile back to full form at those words. Tsuruno... made a friend? She made a friend! And Momoko was going to love her! Just... in a very different way from how she loved Tsuruno- even if the two girlfriends hadn't gotten to admitting they loved each other just yet.<br/>"And friends make sure that friends are happy."<br/>"Yeah... yeah, they do." Tsuruno said, a dreamy tone slipping into her voice a bit as she thought of Momoko.</p><p>Sayuki giggled.</p><p>"Huh?" Tsuruno asked.<br/>"It's Momoko, isn't it?" Sayuki asked back.<br/>"Yeah. She's just so, so great."<br/>"You must love her, then."<br/>"I..." Tsuruno said, stopping to look at Sayuki for a moment, and then nodded. She had never admitted this to anybody out loud before, but she knew she loved Momoko very much. "I do. I really love her."<br/>"I'm glad." Sayuki said.<br/>"Me too... Oh no!" Tsuruno's dream-state was shattered by a certain rather unpleasant realization.</p><p>Banbanzai! The rice!! Her dad was counting on her for that!!!</p><p>"What's wrong?"<br/>"I gotta go! I'm kind of at work right now! Umm, okay so my family runs a restaurant and I'm supposed to be buying rice, but I had to check on that Labyrinth earlier!" Tsuruno said.<br/>"Before you go, can I get your phone number?"<br/>"Yep yep!"</p><p>With numbers exchanged, Tsuruno flipped her phone shut again almost violently, in a rush to get back home. It was a shame leaving Sayuki alone after just meeting her, but her family was important to Tsuruno.</p><p>"Alright, gotta go now!" Tsuruno said. "I'll text you later, okay?"<br/>"Let me know what Momoko thinks of those tickets! Tell her I'm looking forward to meeting her!" Sayuki said. Tsuruno nodded a few times before jogging back a few steps.<br/>"I will! I'll keep you updated!" Tsuruno called, turning around without breaking stride, running even harder down the road than she had before finding that Labyrinth.</p><p>Now, Tsuruno had so, so much more to fight for than just rice. Tsuruno had a very, very important phone call to make. Momoko was going to love this.</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Sorry I'm late!" Tsuruno cried out as she burst into the kitchen of her family's restaurant. Going around the back entrance was trickier than it should have been with so many groceries in hand. It wasn't a lack of strength- Tsuruno had that in spades thanks to her Wish- but having two hands filled with grocery bags and having to slide open a door was met with a tenacious resistance. Tsuruno had a family diner to tend to, and making her girlfriend the happiest woman alive and then some had taken up more time than her father might have liked... still worth it, though.<br/>"It's okay! The dinner rush is only just now starting to set in, so I’d say you’re right on time! Go ahead and start getting everything unpacked, though,." Tsuruno's dad said.<br/>"Sure, but what about picking it up?" Tsuruno asked, smirking. That running joke of theirs never seemed to get old - just because something was unpacked didn't necessarily mean it was picked up.<br/>"That too. And make sure it's in its place." He said. Just because that something was picked up didn't mean it was where it belonged, either.<br/>"Roger!" Tsuruno said, running over to give her father a quick hug from behind before getting to work unpacking everything.</p><p>The dinner rush was slightly more intense than usual. As much as Tsuruno's father insisted that it wasn't because she had taken so long getting groceries, Tsuruno still felt responsible enough to work that much harder to make sure everything was getting done. Waiting tables, bringing out food, picking up dishes and cleaning countersoff... pretty much anything but cooking, she was allowed to do. Cooking was always her father's thing, and his father's before him. Tsuruno had tried to cook, but she wasn’t a prodigy or anything of the sort. . Her father had always said that she was more suited for “customer relations” jobs like waiting anyway; that the personality of someone as cheery as her would be wasted behind an oven. </p><p>By the end of the night, she had felt much better about everything. Especially since the new waitress was working tonight, as well. It being a busy night definitely meant that the extra help was very much appreciated. While they were working, Tsuruno didn't exactly have much of a chance to get a good look at her. It was only after the last guests had left and the dishes washed and neatly stacked to dry did she really get a chance to introduce herself to the girl.</p><p>Or rather, her father did the introductory work for them.</p><p>"Tsuruno! I don't think you've met Akira, have you?" The man shouted from across the kitchen, standing there in his stained white apron that was soaked from washing that stack of plates.<br/>"No, I don't think so!" Tsuruno shouted back while looking at the girl. They were facing one another now, standing just a few feet apart. She was an interesting looking girl. Short, short silver hair, matching grey eyes, and an intense yet strangely homely expression; one that Tsuruno could respect. She was wearing what had recently become Banbanzai's new uniform: A red, tight-fitting shirt,black pants, and a pink sash wrapped around her body just above her waist, almost acting as a belt.<br/>"Like he said, I'm Akira Shinobu. It's nice to meet you." She said, giving a quick bow, stiff and formal, as though the degree of the bend was practiced for hours on end.<br/>"I'm Tsuruno! But I think you already knew that." Tsuruno said, hands clasped behind her back, bouncing a bit on her toes. "Well, good to know you'll be helping out!"<br/>"Yeah; I mean when your dad came to me and asked if I’d be willing to lend a hand around here, I couldn’t really say no, y’know?" Akira said, smiling nervously at her, though any emotion present was lost to Tsuruno.<br/>"He's pretty great, isn't he?" Tsuurno asked, waving at the man.</p><p>He waved back, calling out.<br/>"I am! Thanks for noticing!"<br/>"See? He's great." Tsuruno said.<br/>"Yeah. Just great. He's really nice -. and you seem nice too, even if I've never really talked to you before."<br/>"Hm… you do seem familiar, have I seen you here before?" Tsuruno asked.<br/>"No. I worked my first shift about a week ago; I was here kinda early, and I saw you leaving with someone. One of your friends, I guess?" Akira asked, still seemingly pretty stiff.<br/>"Momoko?" Tsuruno asked again, looking at Akira, thinking about Momoko… Momoko… Akira… Akira first started, when? Huh...<br/>"Who?"<br/>"Drop-dead gorgeous, about as tall as me, blonde hair?" Tsuruno hoped that Momoko would be flattered that that was how she was described to a stranger. <br/>"I... suppose so?." Akira said with a slight nod of her head.<br/>"That was Momoko, she's my girlfriend. Dad! You didn't tell me you hired someone so that I could go on dates!" Tsuruno shouted. As heavy as the accusation was, there was a wide smile on her face which only grew as her father retorted.<br/>"I would have hired someone anyway! You're about to graduate, after all!"<br/>"I have two more years!"<br/>"One and a half!"<br/>"Same difference!" Tsuruno said loudly. When her father only replied with a wink- which Tsuruno responded to by sticking her tongue out at him- she looked back to Akira.</p><p>"So this Momoko girl is your… your girlfriend?" Akira asked.<br/>"Uh-huh! She's my girlfriend - she's a girl, and she’s my best friend, and now we’re dating, so that makes her my girlfriend!" Tsuruno said.<br/>"Huh. That's... interesting." Akira said, shifting her eyes to look past Tsuruno at the door.<br/>"Yeah, it is! She's amazing!"<br/>"So anyway..." Akira said, looking over at Tsuruno's father once. All the while, Tsuruno had continued to look forward at her, a hapless smile on her face.<br/>"Anyway?"<br/>"Yeah. Anyway..." Akira said, her voice trailing off.</p><p>Tsuruno cocked her head as silence filled the room.</p><p>“Anyway… It… I-It sure was nice of your dad to bring me on board!” Akira said, her voice cracking a bit.<br/>"Yep yep! Glad you could make it -  I didn't even know my dad was hiring, so he must have thought you were pretty special to bring you on!" Tsuruno said. Akira chuckled a bit. <br/>"Well, I really think it was just a matter of me being in the right place at the right time - I was coming down this street about a week ago and I heard a loud banging noise coming from inside the restaurant, like something had fallen or something. I came inside to see what was up, and your dad had accidentally knocked over a bunch of pots and pans from... whatever you call that?" Akira said, pointing up at the ceiling and to a row of pots and utensils dangling over the kitchen counter.<br/>"Call what?"<br/>"The pots and pans up there?"<br/>"...Cooking equipment?" Tsuruno asked. Akira sighed.<br/>"It’s not important." She said. "Anyway, your father seemed fine, and so I helped him pick everything up, and we just started talking. And… You came up a lot, actually.”<br/>“Oh, really?” Tsuruno asked.<br/>“Yep. He… He really loves you, from the sound of it,” Akira said.<br/>"I know! Love you too, dad!" Tsuruno said to her father, who was still on the other end of the kitchen. He wasn't working anymore and had taken to leaning against a counter, a bowl of rice in one hand and a spoon in the other.<br/>"Love you more!" He said, mouth audibly stuffed with his dinner.</p><p>Tsuruno giggled at the sound before looking back to Akira.<br/>"You were saying?"<br/>"Oh, right. Sorry. So yeah, we just started talking and he mentioned wanting to have a little extra help around here on busy nights, and he asked me if I was willing to work. And I said yes, and… here we are." Akira said, shrugging.<br/>"So you're gonna be here a lot?"<br/>"Only when I get called. Your dad said Fridays and Saturdays tend to be the busiest, so that’s probably when I’ll end up coming in."<br/>"It'll still be great to have you, though! Glad to meet you!" Tsusuno said.<br/>"Yeah, it’s nice to meet you, too." Akira said back.</p><p> Another wave of silence befell the kitchen.</p><p>"So... what do you do for fun?" Tsuruno asked, waving her towards the restaurant. "Dad we're gonna go eat out there, okay?"<br/>"Okay!"</p><p>And with that, Tsuruno set to grabbing two bowls of the same rice her father was eating from, but Akira offered to help. With food in hand, Tsuruno finished what she started in guiding the two of them onto the floor, sitting at the table closest to the entrance.</p><p>The same table that she had seen Momoko waiting for her at when they went on their date. Tsuruno looked down, a hand gently gliding over the surface of the shiny, polished wood, a smile on her face. She heard the scraping of chair legs across from her signaling that Akira had sat down, but didn't look up just yet.</p><p>"Wow..." Tsuruno said to herself, barely above a whisper, but Akira had caught it.<br/>"Wow what?"<br/>"I just... I really love Momoko..." Tsuruno said before taking a big bite of her rice- it was almost too hot to eat! It must have just gotten done when they were finishing up! Tsuruno breathed heavily, opening her mouth a little, some of the rice falling back into her bowl, trying to get some airflow to alleviate the scorching heat she was now subjecting her tongue to.</p><p>"Ow! Ow! Oooow!" Tsuruno cried out, quickly trying to swallow. It went down her gullet, burning all the way down, but at least her tongue was safe. "Phew..."<br/>"Sorry, I should have mentioned that." Akira said. Already bouncing back, Tsuruno waved it off.<br/>"No, no, it's okay! I was just careless."<br/>"Are you alright? Do you need some water or something?"<br/>"I mean... yeah, but I'll get it." Tsuruno said, starting to stand up, but Akira beat her to the punch, already on her feet and walking towards the kitchen.<br/>"I got it. Sit down and eat, okay?" Akira said, waving her hand down a few times to hopefully get the point across. Tsuruno sat down slowly, an appreciative smile on her face as Akira went back into the kitchen.</p><p>A moment later, she reappeared with two tall glasses of ice water.</p><p>"Thanks." Tsuruno said, taking hers in both hands and taking a large gulp. Sighing happily as she pulled the rim of the cup away from her lips, she looked back down at her food, once more inspired to shovel some of the rice into her mouth. As it turned out, letting the still-steaming dish cool down for at least a few seconds was a good idea. The rest of the meal went down without too much incident.<br/>"No problem." Akira said.<br/>"So you never answered my question earlier." Tsuruno said after a few more bites.<br/>"Which one?"<br/>"What do you do for fun?"<br/>"Oh, I..." Akira took another long moment to think about it, looking down intently at her own food- which was being eaten at a much slower pace than Tsuruno's was- before answering. "I do karate."<br/>"Karate? Whoa, that's so cool! So you're pretty quick on your feet, huh?" Tsuruno asked, leaned forward a bit.<br/>"I guess so. It's more like... you have to be aware of your surroundings. One wrong move and something horrible could happen. That's kind of how I ended up running in here the other day. I heard trouble, so I acted on it."<br/>"That's really cool of you, ya know?"<br/>"I guess so? I don't think it's anything amazing or anything, I just kinda do it." Akira said.<br/>"You don't love it?"<br/>"I don't think I would say 'love' or anything. I like it, it's just not my favorite."<br/>"Then what is your favorite?" Tsuruno asked.<br/>"Huh? Oh, it's... it's nothing, really." Akira said.<br/>"You're weird." Tsuruno said, and Akira only looked away.</p><p>She didn't say anything for a little while, and Tsuruno kind of knew that she had said something to set the other girl off, but what about 'you're weird' was so wrong? It was a compliment, wasn't it?</p><p>"Thanks for the food. I think i'll be going." Akira said after another moment's silence. Tsuruno had finished eating and was just keeping her new... friend? Coworker? They hadn't exactly determined that they were 'friends' or anything. Not like she had done with Sayuki earlier in the day. So maybe they weren't like, friends yet... but Tsuruno knew that she had a good shot at befriending this weird, stiff, somewhat distant girl. She had a heart of gold, Tsuruno could tell. Anyone like that was total friend material.<br/>"Oh, well you're welcome. I didn't really make it, but no problem!" Tsuruno said, standing up and picking up her own dishes.</p><p>Akira gave her polite goodbyes, accepted a few thousand yen from Tsuruno's father, and walked out, leaving the two Yui's alone in the kitchen. Tsuruno looked at her father- who had finished eating and was washing their dishes- and back at the door.</p><p>"Hey, dad?" Tsuruno asked.<br/>"Yeah?"<br/>"I... WAIT!" Tsuruno was about to ask something completely unrelated when the memories of earlier that day flew through her mind. Sayuki. The concert tickets. Momoko! Momoko had to know.<br/>"Wait what?"<br/>"I- I- I NEED TO GO TO MOMOKO'S PLACE LIKE NOW, CAN I PLEEEEASE? I'LL BE BACK AS SOON AS I CAN, OKAY?" She yelled at the top of her lungs, a desperate look in her eyes as she clenched her fists tightly, hoping in her heart of hearts that the man would accept her plea. He seemed shocked, surprised to see his daughter so determined about that. But he laughed and nodded his head.<br/>"Sure thing, sweetie. Just be back by midnight, okay?"<br/>"Midnight it is!" Tsuruno said, determined to use up every minute of that clock. She ran out the door, barely bothering to check to see what she had on her person. Luckily, she had the tickets still in her pocket, and she had her phone. Nothing else was really necessary.</p><p>Momoko’s happiness was the only thing that mattered right now.</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After running out the door, Tsuruno jumped up onto Banbanzai's roof with ease, sprinting along it and jumping onto the next roof over, pulling her phone out to call Momoko as she took the most direct line possible to her girlfriend's home.</p><p>She picked up after two rings.</p><p>"MOMOKOOO! I HAVE SOMETHING I NEED TO SHOW YOU! ARE YOU HOME?" Tsuruno yelled into the phone, smiling widely as she leaped across a paved road, from telephone pole to telephone pole, letting her body soar through the air towards the one objective she now had.<br/>"Yeah, I'm home, what's up? Are you okay?" Momoko asked back at her with a growing concern in her voice.<br/>"I'M OKAY! AND I HAVE SOMETHING TO GIVE YOU BUT I GOTTA SHOW YOU IN PERSON! I'M ON MY WAY!" Tsuruno shouted.<br/>"Alright, hang on, I'll go talk to my mom real quick."<br/>"OKAY! SEE YOU SOON, MOMO!" Tsuruno shouted before hanging up the phone, laughing without a care in the world as she sprinted onward.</p><p>By the time she arrived in front of Momoko's house, Tsuruno's hair was disheveled to the point that it was sticking up at all ends, loose strands floating around her head like she had just been struck with a bolt of lightning. And yet she stood at the door, knocking a few times as respectfully as her excited mental state would allow her. A face quite unlike the blonde head she expected to be greeted with, a middle-aged woman answered the door instead.</p><p>"Oh, hello, Tsuruno."<br/>"Hello, miss Togame. I need to talk to Momoko for a moment. I have something to give her, and it's really really reeeeeeally important!" Even as she explained the direness of her current situation, she couldn't help but smiled widely, heart racing just from the thought of showing Momoko those backstage passes- method of travel to get here notwithstanding.<br/>"Of course. She's upstairs. Do try to be quiet on your way up, though, my little boys are asleep." The woman said, letting Tsuruno in.<br/>"Thanks." Tsuruno whispered, taking the hint too well as she took her shoes off at the door, tiptoeing upstairs, crossing the short hallway into Momoko's room.</p><p>When she opened the door, she saw that beautiful girl sitting at her desk, hunched over a notebook, pen in hand. Rather than writing with it, she seemed to just be twirling it around.</p><p>"Tsuruno!" Momoko said as she stood up, whatever she was working on forgotten as they both worked to close the distance between them.<br/>"Hey, Momo." Tsuruno said as she walked forward. They met in the center of the room, already pulling one another in for a light hug and a kiss- a kiss on the lips. One that neither had quite gotten used to just yet- judging by the length at which they let their mouths rest upon one another. This was almost as good a reward as she could have hoped for, but the happiness that Momoko would feel after seeing those tickets would explode into sheer bliss.</p><p>And Tsuruno could hardly wait to see it.</p><p>"Okay okay okay, sit down, alright?" Tsuruno asked, a wide smile on her face as she gently pushed on Momoko's shoulders, guiding her towards her bed. Momoko smiled back a little more nervously, not sure what Tsuruno was planning.<br/>"Alright. What's going on? Did something happen?" Momoko asked as she sat down.<br/>"Something like that. Close your eyes." Tsuruno said. Momoko wordlessly obeyed, and as she did so, Tsuruno pulled the tickets loose from her pocket, held them close to Momoko's face, and came up with a quick explanation. "Okay, so before you open your eyes, I have a few questions."<br/>"Alright?"<br/>"Do you remember that thing you were telling me about?"<br/>"We talk about a lot of things, sweetie." Momoko said. Giggling at the cute little nickname aside, Tsuruno tried guiding her towards the right answer.<br/>"Remember when we talked about what kind of music we like on our date?"<br/>"Yeah?"<br/>"And how a couple days after that you tried to buy those tickets?"<br/>"Yeah...?" Momoko asked, repeating herself from the first time, even more confused now. Tsuruno made sure that both passes were visible as distinct from one another- making it clear that they'd be doing this together. Swallowing deeply, Tsuruno spoke much more softly than before.<br/>"Open your eyes."</p><p>Luckily, with Momoko sitting down and Tsuruno standing in front of her, she could see every reaction that her girlfriend had towards her gift. At first, she took a moment to reorient herself to the world around her, quickly focusing in on the thick paper in front of her. Reading one of them, lips moving along with the words, the more she read the brighter her expression got. She was smiling wide, and yet she was speechless. A long moment passed of Momoko's jaw hanging open, and then with trembling hands, she reached out to grab hold of them. Tsuruno let the tickets fall from her fingers as Momoko gripped them white-knuckled, jaw still on the floor.</p><p>"Well? What do you think?" Tsuruno asked, a wide smile on her face. It was obvious that Momoko was struck speechless at the gift. She hoped her words would bring forth a vocal response to it.<br/>"Tsuruno... these... how did you..." Momoko started. Swallowing, she looked up. "These sold out in three minutes. There was no way you managed to snag a pair..."<br/>"I kind of... snagged them from elsewhere." Tsuruno said.<br/>"Huh?" Now Momoko was even more confused than before, but no less elated.<br/>"I maaaaay have run into Sayuki Fumino earlier today." She said with a giggle.<br/>"You... you what... and she just... you know, gave these to you?!?" Momoko asked, shock growing by the second.<br/>"Did you know she's a Magical Girl, too?"<br/>"SHE IS?" Momoko asked loudly.<br/>"YEAH!" Tsuruno said back, raising her volume to match.<br/>"Tsuruno, I... I don't know what to say." Momoko stood up slowly, holding the tickets close to her chest as though they were the most precious thing in the world to her in that moment. One hand moved away from the tickets to rest on Tsuruno's shoulder, then moving up her neck to caress her cheek. Momoko giggled as she leaned in close.<br/>"Say you'll go with me?" Tsuruno offered. Momoko nodded her head and pulled her in for another kiss.<br/>"Of course I'll go with you! I can't wait!" Momoko said.<br/>"Great." Tsuruno said.</p><p>And Momoko couldn't resist anymore. She pulled Tsuruno in for a kiss on the lips that was as intense as any of the kisses they had ever shared. Blindly putting the tickets on the bed, Momoko let her other hand wrap to the back of Tsuruno's head, keeping her in place. Even if the other girl wanted to disconnected from the kiss, it would be hard to do so without some kind of signal. Luckily, from the way that Tsuruno kissed her back, it was pretty clear she didn't want to. Her hands were on Momoko's waist, gripping tightly, pulling her in as their lips danced across one another, tongues locked in a battle that neither really wanted to win. Momoko kept her eyes closed, lost in Tsuruno's warmth, her scent... her generosity...</p><p>The kiss broke, and suddenly Momoko was looking at her with the eyes of a child, giddy expression still on her face.</p><p>"So you met SayuSayu?" Momoko asked.<br/>"Yep!" Tsuruno asked back. If she was annoyed that the kiss had ended, she certainly didn't let it show.<br/>"And she's a Magical Girl?"<br/>"Yep yep!"<br/>"How did you find that out?"<br/>"So I was running errands for Banbanzai and on the way I found a Labyrinth. When I went in to see what was up, I saw another Magical Girl already fighting. I didn't recognize her, but after we took care of the Familiars- cause I don't think the Witch was there, the Labyrinth went away- we started talking."<br/>"And it was SayuSayu?"<br/>"Yeah! She's super nice and really friendly, and she said she's looking forward to meeting you!" Tsuruno said with such an excitement that she could just feel a flowery aura surrounding her body.</p><p>Those words caused Momoko to blush, her entire body stiffened like it had so many times before the two girls had progressed enough in their relationship to kiss the way they had just been.</p><p>"She's... she wants to meet me?" Momoko asked in stunned disbelief. Tsuruno nodded her head to emphasize her point.<br/>"Yeah, she wants to meet you!" Tsuruno said.<br/>"Did you tell her... you know..."<br/>"Yeah. I told her about us." Momoko had no idea just how much Tsuruno had told her about her.<br/>"What did she say?"<br/>"She was happy for us."<br/>"Really?"<br/>"Really."<br/>"That's... wow, that feels so good to hear. Almost as good as hearing that from my mom, you know?" Momoko asked. She knew that Tsuruno didn't really know just what that meant, but her reply still meant a lot to her.<br/>"Yeah, it's great, isn't it? She seemed genuinely happy to know how happy we make each other." Tsuruno said, leaning in to peck Momoko on the lips.<br/>"We do make each other happy, don't we?"<br/>"We sure do!"</p><p>Momoko sat back down on her bed, laying down, collapsing with her arms spread out. Tsuruno lay down next to her, cuddling in close as Momoko grabbed the tickets again.</p><p>"Looking forward to it?" Tsuruno asked as she kissed Momoko's cheek, looking into her eyes, seeing that glint there, just knowing that she was way more than just 'looking forward to it.'<br/>"It's gonna be you, and me, and SayuSayu. How could I not be looking forward to it? I'll have you there, and I'll be sitting..." Momoko looked away from Tsuruno to squint at the printed-on writing of the seating.<br/>"It's front row."<br/>"No way..." Momoko said. Not that she didn't believe her, but seeing it for her own eyes was an experience in and of itself.<br/>"Way." Tsuruno said just as Momoko verified. Front row, dead center. They'd have the best seats in the whole house... and then they'd get to hang out with her after that? Momoko still couldn't believe it.</p><p>"Wow..." Momoko said, looking at the tickets still.<br/>"Yeah, wow..." Tsuruno said, staring into Momoko's happy expression.</p><p>They laid there for a while. Sometimes they kissed, sometimes they chatted, sometimes they just stared into one another's eyes, enjoying the physical closeness. Tsuruno knew it was getting late, and that she should be getting back soon, but this moment... this moment was too precious to want to give up so easily.</p><p>"Momo..." Tsuruno said, muttering.<br/>"Yeah?"<br/>"I... I need to get going. I promised my dad I'd be back by midnight."<br/>"Oh, okay, well what time is it?" Momoko asked.<br/>"It's..." Tsuruno picked her head up long enough to grab her phone, looking at its clock. "Almost time..."<br/>"Oh..." Momoko said, not wanting her girlfriend to leave just yet.</p><p>Tsuruno sat up slowly, but not before a few more kisses, soft and slow, savoring every taste, every moment that she was able to feel so close to Momoko was a joy in and of itself.</p><p>"Alright... I guess it's time, huh?" Momoko asked as Tsuruno stood up straight. Momoko followed, sneaking in one more kiss to her cheek.<br/>"Yeah."<br/>"Thanks again. Nobody's ever given me something so amazing. Thank you so, so much, Tsuruno." Momoko said, stealing another moment with Tsuruno by pulling her in for a hug. She returned it tightly for a moment, then let her arms drop. Momoko did the same just before Tsuruno took a step back. "So it's a date, right?"<br/>"Yeah, it's a date."<br/>"I'm looking forward to it. I know you don't like, really do the whole 'idol' thing but I promise it'll be fun."<br/>"Hey Momo, I'll be with you, how could it not be fun?" Tsuruno asked, smiling as she walked backwards a few steps towards Momoko's bedroom door while the blonde stood there speechless, looking down in shock.<br/>"Yeah. You'll be with me, and that'll make it way better than if I was alone." Momoko said.<br/>"Of course!"<br/>"You know I was gonna try to buy two, just in case you wanted to come."<br/>"I really, really wanna go, Momo. I wanna see what you like."<br/>"I like you..." Momoko said, still not recovered from the embarrassment previous.<br/>"I like you, too, Momo..." Tsuruno said. "Okay, gotta go now. Bye."<br/>"Bye. Be safe on your way back, okay?"<br/>"Okay!"<br/>"And no running into Labyrinths on your own. Call me first?"<br/>"I promise!" Tsuruno said, walking backwards out of Momoko's room.</p><p>And then Momoko was alone, a whirlwind of emotions running through her head. One thing was for certain, though... Momoko just couldn't wait to show Tsuruno what kind of stuff she was into.</p><p>She lay in bed, homework forgotten, tickets set on her desk neatly, thoughts of Tsuruno holding glowsticks next to her as she drifted off to sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The night after Tsuruno had given Momoko the backstage passes for SayuSayu’s upcoming concert, the two girls found themselves in Tsuruno’s room. Sleepovers had been a common occurrence in their relationship thus far, and tonight was a night like those before it. Unlike before, though, Tsuruno had cleaned up her room a little bit that morning- at least enough to make it seem as though she wasn’t as much of a slob as she really was. Their first sleepover together has been pretty embarrassing at the time, so Tsuruno tried her hardest to avoid further instances of that happening.</p><p>And she had succeeded more than Momoko had expected. Momoko wouldn’t have minded if Tsuruno’s room was a perpetual mess. She knew enough about what the other girl was going through to know that she really needed someone who wasn’t going to discipline her at every opportunity. And Momoko was going to be that fun girlfriend that she knew Tsuruno to need.</p><p>Currently, they were sat on Tsuruno’s clean floor, eating some leftover dumplings from the dinner rush. Looking around her, she saw the trash can was more than overflowing, but other than that and a messy desk, along with her game consoles sitting in a mess of wires in front of her television set, the room was pretty clean. Though with the closet door closed, Momoko was too afraid to ask about what was going on in there. Knowing Tsuruno, it was sure to be a disaster.</p><p>“Hey Momoko?” Tsuruno asked after she had finished eating. The girl in question was still on her last dumpling, though it was on it’s way out- or rather down Momoko’s throat. She looked over to see Tsuruno’s shining face. Still beautiful.<br/>“What’s up?”<br/>“Nothing.” Tsuruno said, smiling wide after seeing Momoko make eye contact with her. Both hands wrapped around Momoko’s arm, leaning in- almost knocking Momoko off balance- Tsuruno’s head resting on her shoulder.<br/>“You’re cute.” Momoko said, smiling and shaking her head.<br/>“No, you’re cute.” Tsuruno said.<br/>“Maybe, but you’re more cute.” <br/>“Nope! I already told you, you’re the cutest in the world! And I meant it!”<br/>“I think you mean you?” Momoko said inquisitively, raising an eyebrow down at her.<br/>“Why would I think I’m cuter than you? I mean… look at you, you’re just so beautiful it almost hurts!”<br/>“I’m just lucky to have someone who looks out for me the way you do.” Momoko said, leaning her cheek on the top of Tsuruno’s head. With all the chatter, it was hard to find the time to take another bite, but this was worth it. She was having fun.<br/>“I look out for you? Who was it that was there for me when nobody else was? Who was there for me when I really needed somebody? You stuck around, Momo, that makes you special to me.” Tsuruno said. Though Momoko couldn’t see her face, she was sure that Tsuruno was sporting a determined look. And she could only laugh at the image flashing in her head.<br/>“Well I wasn’t the one that went and befriended a superstar for your sake. Give yourself some credit, sweetie. You look out for me, too.” At the word ‘sweetie,’ Tsuruno gave off a low, but hearty giggle. Momoko would have wrapped an arm around her, but since that was caught in Tsuruno’s hands, she decided this was more comfortable. “Did I say something?”<br/>“I like it when you call me that.”<br/>“What?”<br/>“Your ‘sweetie.’ I’m your sweetie.” Tsuruno said dreamily, sighing.<br/>“Yeah, you definitely are. You’re my special sweetie.” Momoko said, placing a kiss on the top of Tsuruno’s head.</p><p>Tsuruno looked up at her, and the two girls locked eyes for a moment before they brought their faces even closer together, giving one another a long, soft kiss on the lips.</p><p>“Still amazing.” Momoko said, and Tsuruno giggled again.<br/>“Isn’t it?” She asked.<br/>“It is.”<br/>“So anyway…”<br/>“Yeah?”<br/>“I wasn’t sure what we were gonna do tonight.”<br/>“Isn’t just hanging out enough?” Momoko asked.<br/>“Well, yeah, but after last night do we really wanna do something boring?” Tsuruno asked back.<br/>“Sweetie…” Momoko said, shaking her head and giving her another slow kiss on the lips. “We don’t have to top yesterday’s excitement every day. Some days it’s okay if the only thing we do together is breathe.”<br/>“I guess so.” Tsuruno said.<br/>“Besides, we still have the concert to look forward to… and I get to meet SayuSayu…” Momoko said, looking towards Tsuruno dreamily.<br/>“Yeah, she’s great. You’re gonna like her I’m sure.” Tsuruno said.<br/>“I already do.” <br/>“So where does that leave me, huh missy?” Tsuruno asked, playful snark growing in her voice.<br/>“I like you more.” Momoko said, kissing Tsuruno’s lips again. “SayuSayu may be an idol, but you’re my girlfriend, so that makes you automatically better.”<br/>“Well, thanks.”<br/>“Besides, you’ve never been to a concert before, have you?”<br/>“Nope!” Tsuruno said loudly, and Momoko couldn’t help but beam a smile at her.<br/>“Well you’re gonna love it. It’s going to be fun.”<br/>“What’s it like?” Tsuruno asked.</p><p>Momoko hummed and thought about it for a moment. She had been to one SayuSayu concert before almost a year ago. It had been right after she released her first full album and Momoko in particular had been excited that she was performing live. But the anticipation was nothing compared to the show. The thumping of the music, the energy of the crowds… it was sensory overload coming at you from all angles and Momoko loved it.</p><p>“It’s a lot of fun. Everybody’s having a good time, the music’s great, the visuals are pretty amazing, and the dance routines are always fun. You can just tell that everybody’s really passionate about the show and that a lot of effort went into it.” Momoko said, channeling some of her fondest non-Tsuruno memories into her explanation.<br/>“It’ll be great.” Tsuruno said.<br/>“Yep yep!” Momoko said, freezing a moment after realizing exactly what she just said.</p><p>H-had Tsuruno been rubbing off on her?</p><p>“Momo?” Tsuruno asked, both of them red in the face after that, both looking down at the ground.<br/>“Y-yeah?”<br/>“You’re adorable.”<br/>“This is your fault.”<br/>“You said it.”<br/>“You said it first.” Momoko said, taking a side peek at Tsuruno, still hugging her, using Momoko’s shoulder to hide her face from view.<br/>“Maybe.”<br/>“We just hang out a lot together. Nothing wrong with that, right?” Momoko asked.<br/>“Nope!” Tsuruno said louder, picking her head up to see Momoko properly. A kiss to the blonde’s cheek later and she was as good as new.</p><p>“So did we really just wanna hang out tonight?” Tsuruno asked. They had spent a moment just sitting there, listening to the other breathe. It was peaceful enough, but Momoko could have guessed that Tsuruno wanted to do something. And she probably had a specific something in mind, but Momoko didn’t know what.<br/>“What did you wanna do?” Momoko asked.<br/>“Well… I had a few ideas…” Tsuruno said, blushing. She looked down and away, even though they were still sitting next to one another in front of their dinner plates hugging. They were still close, though, which was why Momoko wasn’t as concerned about things. She knew that Tsuruno was probably fine. </p><p>Ever since Tsuruno had had that last outburst in the middle of the night, she had been… pretty happy, all things considered. If she had shown some of that same misery that had been so common before they started dating, Momoko must have missed it entirely. But Tsuruno’s father had mentioned how much happier she seemed lately. So something was up.</p><p>“Like what?” Momoko asked, leaning in a little closer to make up for Tsuruno’s slight pull away as she looked down.<br/>“It’s nothing, forget I said anything.” Tsuruno said.<br/>“No, no, hey, it’s fine, whatever it is you can talk to me about it, okay?” Momoko said, rubbing her back a little firmly as she addressed her, capping off her point with a kiss to her cheek. Tsuruno had taken to frowning a little as she tried to wave off whatever she was thinking, but that kiss made her smile a little. Her head tilted just enough that Momoko could see her eyes, sparkling, shining in the artificial light of the room.</p><p>Momoko let her sit there for a moment, silence ringing in her ears as she watched Tsuruno clasp her hands together. The closeness, those loose strands of hair right in front of her face, watching her chest rise and fall with every breath, sure hers was doing the same, Momoko’s mind raced trying to figure out exactly what it was Tsuruno was thinking. And there was never any telling what her girlfriend was thinking.</p><p>“So…” Momoko said, hoping to lead Tsuruno on into whatever it was she wanted to say.<br/>“You know, we’ve been dating for a little while, right?” Tsuruno said, taking a deep breath, finally letting a smile onto her face. Momoko saw that, and returned a smile just as wide. Progress! If nobody else was able to do it, Momoko knew just how to make Tsuruno open up. A useful skill, that one, not only for their relationship as girlfriends, but for the sake of their friendship as well. Momoko still considered herself friends with the beautiful girl sitting next to her- the one who’s breathing had become less steady, eyes shifting, body trembling- even if they were technically dating. They were friends. And Momoko wanted to keep it that way.<br/>“Yeah. And it’s been great so far.” Momoko said, giving the girl a nod, pulling her back closer via a hand on her opposite hip. Tsuruno let herself be pulled closer, and Momoko kept the little hug, placing both her hands in Tsuruno’s lap, clasping her clenched fists in her own.<br/>“It really has, hasn’t it?” Tsuruno asked, a smile on her own face as she picked up her head to look into Momoko’s eyes. They shared a smile. It was a nice smile, Momoko could never get tired of looking into that beautiful face… the one she wanted to kiss and hug and whisper sweet little adorable nothings into her ear… and now that they were dating, and alone, nothing was stopping her.</p><p>“It has. You’ve made me so, so happy. You’re really my only friend, Tsuruno, but I couldn’t ask for a better one.” Momoko whispered, not able to resist the temptation. She could feel those words send a shiver down Tsuruno’s back as she shook in place for a very different reason now. Her eyes were closed when Momoko pulled back, breathing deeply through her nose. Momoko moved to sit in front of her now, hands on her cheeks. She kept whispering. “Because I have you, I feel so confident, so brave. So courageous in ways that I never could have been before. You bring out the best in me, Tsuruno…”<br/>“I do?” She asked, opening one eye, her usual smile replaced with a serene but neutral glance, her mouth shifted neither upwards nor downwards. She just… looked forward with that one eye.<br/>“You do.” Momoko said, and her mouth shot upwards. There was the smile that Momoko loved so much.<br/>“Good thing. I’d hate to be a girlfriend who couldn’t make her girlfriend feel super awesome and stuff like that.” Tsuruno said, and Momoko couldn’t help but chuckle.<br/>“You certainly do that. So my point was-”<br/>“You had a point?”<br/>“Well, yeah, something’s bothering you.”<br/>“It’s not like it’s bothering bothering me or anything, but it’s not a big deal.”<br/>“Oh come on, after all that you still aren’t gonna say?”<br/>“Nope.”<br/>“What if I asked you nicely?” Momoko asked.<br/>“You’re gonna have to be more specific.” Tsuruno said, that smile back again, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Momoko knew that look.</p><p>She’d have to play harder.</p><p>“Alright, then. I’ll ask very nicely.” Momoko said, leaning in towards Tsuruno. Her hands went to the girl’s sides, travelling up until they reached her shoulders, then back down her arms, fingertips barely touching her skin. She could feel Tsuruno experience another shiver, feeling the hair of her arms stick up on end. “So Tsuruno… what did you wanna do tonight?”<br/>“I… I…” Tsuruno started.</p><p>And then she spoke, causing Momoko to raise an eyebrow at her. Of course. Tsuruno was a teenager after all, and even if Momoko didn’t have moments like that when she was alone… she had to admit… </p><p>Being that close to Tsuruno had an appeal in its own right...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tsuruno knew she should be happy. She knew she should be the happiest girl alive. And yet she felt empty inside. Opening her eyes wasn’t usually a struggle, but on the days it was, she wanted nothing more than to cuddle up into the deepest, darkest recesses of her bedsheets and waste away the day. Not even her perfect attendance record could make her care enough to roll out of bed and dress herself. The thought of seeing Momoko’s bright and shining face was pretty much the only thing that could make her feel anything. And even then, the happiness she got from that golden smile and matching locks invading her mind’s eye was only a fraction of the excitement Tsuruno normally got.</p><p>She groaned, rolling over, falling out of the bed, watching as the floor soared up to meet her, only her Magical Girl reflexes prevented her from hitting the carpet. Not that she minded the pain. Standing up slowly, Tsuruno looked around. The room was a mess again. In the few days since Momoko was last here, since that last amazing night together, they had either slept at their own place or at Momoko’s together. Which meant that Tsuruno’s room had fallen back into disarray. Without Momoko here, without the constancy of her being that shining beacon of positivity on the cleanliness of Tsuruno’s bedroom… what was the point?</p><p>What was the point of any of this? Tsuruno wondered as she trudged towards the bathroom. Leaning against the counter, she looked herself dead in the eyes. Brown little things they were, devoid of their usual energy, a hollow form of their other selves. Those eyes could be happy. Not just the fake kind of happy that Tsuruno usually was. But real, genuine happiness. Her father could barely give her that on the best of days. Sayuki and Akira- though limited in contact thus far due to just meeting both of them- hadn’t done so. Momoko was the only one who could turn that false positivity into genuine excitement. But she wasn’t here. And that left Tsuruno to stare at herself with an apathy that went unparalleled.</p><p>Bags under her eyes from tossing and turning, hair sticking up all over her head, those long auburn strands making a mad scientist out of her yet. A grimace on her face completed the package.<br/>
“Yep. I’m a mess.” Tsuruno muttered, still staring into the window. But she was a mess who needed to get ready for school. Perfect attendance be damned… Tsuruno just wanted to see Momoko. If anybody could make her feel better, it was her.</p><p>It was what she had promised to be there for, after all. Why let that go to waste? She hated the idea of taking advantage of Momoko like that. She hated the idea that Momoko was just doing this because Tsuruno needed her. As much as she knew it wasn’t true, that Momoko was there because Tsuruno made her happy, it was hard to see that at times. Knowing something is true on paper and really believing in it are two totally different things. And right now, Tsuruno could only see one of them and believe it with any amount of certainty.</p><p>Water splashed onto her face with almost foreign hands, the skin on her cheeks cold and uninviting as she felt. Though the water was warm, steaming hot even, Tsuruno still felt nothing inside. Burning up on the outside hadn’t done anything for the fire within that she so desperately wished would just ignite already. But that beacon lay cold. She’d have to force it to start, douse it with gasoline if that’s what it took.</p><p>Getting dressed was easy, at least. Slip off what she had slept in and pull on the new outfit. No shower, barely remembering to brush her teeth, no deodorant. Tsuruno knew she was a mess, but as she fastened the top button of her summer school uniform, she didn’t care. At least she was ready to go.</p><p>A deep sigh. This was the part that she hated. This was the part that was always the hardest, but she couldn’t fail at it. She couldn’t let her father see her for who she truly was. Tsuruno knew she was a fake through and through, but she was a fake who tried her best for those around her. That was what counted in this world, right? Making the people you care about happy? Her mother and grandmother had taken advantage of her sacrifice and skipped town. Yachiyo and Mifuyu had forgotten about her at the drop of a hat. But her father was still here. Momoko was still here. And whatever acquaintanceship she had with Sayuki and Akira was… well, Tsuruno couldn’t say she hated it.</p><p>There was no thought that could put a genuine smile on her face right now, so she settled on a blank smile, a cheery expression influenced by the gray expanse in the recesses of her mind. That deep, dull color always managed to get her through the day, with nobody thinking twice about her behavior. A deep breath, and those dead eyes awoke with fake energy, the frown on her face flipped its script with pure determination; out the door to her room she went, running down the stairs at an almost unnatural pace.</p><p>“Daaaaaaaaaad! Gooood morning!” Tsuruno called out. The pain in her chest always grew when she was fooling those around her. Doing this to her father hurt, but better hurt her than hurt him. She found the man standing in the kitchen, preparing what was obviously a bento obviously meant for her. Obviously. He loved her, and she loved him back. This was how she showed it on days like today.<br/>
“Hey sweetie, how are you?” He asked. Tsuruno was sure his town was more genuine. He was a genuine person. Unlike his daughter.<br/>
“Great!” Tsuruno lied, hopping into place at the center of the room. </p><p>Hold the smile, close your eyes, and a tilt of the head juuuuust to the right. Hold it. Sell it. That’s it. He won’t suspect a thing.</p><p>“I’m getting lunch ready for you.” He said.<br/>
“Thanks! You didn’t have to!” Tsuruno said.<br/>
“I know. I did it anyway.”<br/>
“Love you.”<br/>
“Love you too.” Tsuruno’s father said as she approached, grabbing the bento, accepting the kiss on his cheek from her. He gave one back, waving at her as she walked away. “Tell Momoko I said hi, okay?”<br/>
“Will do!” Tsuruno said, almost shouting as she ran out of the kitchen, out the door, onto the early morning street.</p><p>Her usual energy would have faded then and there. Nobody would have been around to see her for who she was, so dropping it just before getting to school would have been fine. But not this morning. Not when Momoko was standing outside Banbanzai’s door. The restaurant hadn’t even opened yet, and wouldn’t for at least another hour. As much as Tsuruno would have loved to drop the act, she just couldn’t. And the pain in her chest grew. </p><p>So she doubled back down on it, letting that smile grow even wider. School bag slung around one shoulder, lunch in her hand, she leaned forward to give her girlfriend a kiss on the lips.<br/>
“Goooood mooooorrrning Momoooo!” She said loudly as they started down the street.<br/>
“Good morning.” Momoko said back, much quieter than Tsuruno’s yell, and much simpler. She reached for Tsuruno’s hand with a wag of her fingers.<br/>
“Fancy seeing you here, huh?” Tsuruno asked. That’s right. Nothing was wrong. You’re fine. Just keep going. This is normal.<br/>
“Yeah. Something like that. Just wanted to see you. You don’t mind, right?” Momoko asked as her hand slid into Tsuruno’s, looking between her and the direction they were going.<br/>
“Of course not! I…” Tsuruno paused for a moment. </p><p>No, she didn’t mind. Being here with her was nice, really nice, but it wasn’t enough to soothe the pain that had dispersed into a dull ache in her chest. It still hurt, but it was a different kind of hurt now. Just because it was a tad more bearable didn’t mean it was gone. And Tsuruno just wanted it to go away…</p><p>“You what?” Momoko asked after a moment’s silence.<br/>
“I missed you too.” Tsuruno said, nodding vigorously. There. She had almost slipped up, but Tsuruno could work with this.<br/>
“Good thing I came then, huh?”<br/>
“Yep yep!”<br/>
“Ready for class?”</p><p>Ready? The only thing Tsuruno was ready for was to get to a secluded place, either alone or with Momoko… and cuddle up and cry. That was what she needed right now, but at almost seven in the morning, it was difficult to even be able to see that on her horizon. So it was probably best to lie.</p><p>“Yep yep!” She said, nodding again.<br/>
“Got any plans this afternoon?” Momoko asked.</p><p>Was Tsuruno about to lie to her girlfriend twice in a row in order to have some alone time? Did she want to appear that vulnerable to Momoko? Who already knew just how fragile her emotional state could be? Could she do this alone?</p><p>No. She couldn’t. But was she about to ask Momoko for help? Would she take advantage of her like that? How badly did she want to curl up into a ball and cry alone? Would Momoko’s presence there make it better? It took a long moment for her to answer, the words she spoke surprised even herself.</p><p>“No plans.” Tsusuno said.<br/>
“Great. Wanna hang out then?” Momoko asked. Tsuruno knew she couldn’t tell just how empty she felt at the moment. Even being hand in hand with the woman she knew she loved didn’t help much… Tsuruno nodded slowly.<br/>
“Yeah. Let’s do it!” Tsuruno said loudly, nodding her head, squeezing Momoko’s hand. She couldn’t know. Tsuruno didn’t want her to know.<br/>
“Okay, great. I wanna talk about our plans for this weekend.”<br/>
“This weekend?”<br/>
“Yeah, the concert! It’s in three days.”<br/>
“Right, of course!” Tsuruno said loudly again, nodding once more, leaning in to hug Momoko from the side. How could she have forgotten? That was going to be a fun day, Tsuruno’s mood aside.<br/>
“I just wanna make sure you’re ready and everything.”<br/>
“Me? Not ready? Who do you think I am?” Tsuruno asked, and Momoko laughed.<br/>
“Of course, how could I forget, right?”<br/>
“It’s okay!” Tsuruno said suddenly.</p><p>Momoko’s smile slowly faded as they walked, looking at Tsuruno’s seemingly happy expression with confusion. ‘It’s okay!’ What did that mean? Tsuruno never said stuff like that. </p><p>“Alright.” She said with a nod of her head, not thinking too much into it. She was probably trying to make sure she was still happy about the whole ‘concert’ thing, Momoko decided.<br/>
“Yeah. It’ll be great.” Tsuruno said, hoping Momoko hadn’t thought into that comment.<br/>
“Just great. I’ll have you there with me, and we’ll be singing and cheering, oh it’ll be so much fun.” Momoko said, her voice lightening up to an almost dreamy state in no time.</p><p>This was the Momoko that Tsuruno loved seeing. Momoko when she was happy, when she was excited… but even seeing this now, Tsuruno didn’t feel much happier. Or at all. That same, everpresent emptiness was still just as real, just as biting as it had been all day so far. But she couldn’t show it. She couldn’t let Momoko see that. Today would be harder because they’d be hanging out somewhere. It would be worth the effort, though. Momoko had seen her at her worst one too many times. She had been vulnerable one too many times.</p><p>As much as she knew that Momoko was there for her, Tsuruno wasn’t about to burden Momoko with the baggage she carried around day in, day out. She could hold it in, just like she had always done.</p><p>They walked in silence for the most part, just holding hands. Tsuruno was glad of this. Having to keep up that hyperactive fun energy that she was known for all the way to Momoko’s classroom would have been difficult. Instead, she was allowed to just keep that smile on her face with an upbeat gait in her step until they arrived. Tsuruno gave Momoko a kiss on the lips as they stood in the doorway of the first year classroom- her classmates used to this morning ritual by now.</p><p>“Bye.” Momoko said as Tsuruno took a step back.<br/>
“Bye, see you later!” Tsuruno said, the pain in her chest growing again, having dulled on the walk over.<br/>
“Yeah, see you!” Tsuruno said, turning to run down the hall.</p><p>Once she got to the steps, Tsuruno’s pace slowed to a crawl, taking one stair at a time. They had made it here with plenty of time to spare, so even if she went at a slower pace than this, that perfect attendance record that she held in such high esteem. One step at a time, she went up, her mind already racing into the future, dreading what it would hold for her. She’d have to endure the entire afternoon, maybe even the evening as well with Momoko. It wasn’t like she disliked spending time with her, but on days like this… Tsuruno just wanted to be alone. Alone was safe. Alone was when nobody could see her weaknesses, watch her cry about absolutely nothing. Alone was when she felt like she could truly be herself.</p><p>And as much as she wanted Momoko to be there with her for who she truly was… part of her was still afraid she’d just chase her off. Those little glimpses of who she really was in her moments of weakness with her seemed to have no effect. But she wasn’t about to take that chance. Not when she’d lose the only thing that could really make her happy if the gamble didn’t pay off.</p><p>It was selfish, it was perhaps a bit dishonest, but Tsuruno didn’t feel like she had another choice. Let Momoko just see the happy parts of her, even if she had to force it. This morning had gone just fine. But what about lunch time? Would she be better by then? This afternoon? Would they have another of their many sleepovers? How long would this looming mood cast a shadow over the happy, cheerful girl she wanted to be?</p><p>And if the facade truly fell, would Momoko still want to be with her?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Four hours passed, and the lunch bell rang throughout Kamihama University Affiliated High School. Tsuruno Yui still didn’t feel any better. Try as she might to legitimately cheer up, she just couldn’t. She was just sad, and there was no reason for it, and she couldn’t snap herself out of it. The entire morning had been a constant trial and error of attempts to really smile for once. And so far, Tsuruno had failed horribly. Momoko was waiting for her, and now that that bell had rung signaling the break they’d have alone for an hour or so, it was time for Tsuruno to face it. She’d have to face it without any real sense of happiness. Tsuruno didn’t like cursing, but…</p><p>Dammit.</p><p>By the time she stood up, most of the class had already gone. A rarity for her, who was always the first out the door, wanting to be the first to run down the steps to the floor below, Momoko’s classroom one flight down. When she stood up to leave, she didn’t get as far as the doorway before seeing that beautiful blonde in front of her, blocking her from walking out into the hall.</p><p>“Hey.” Momoko said, smiling at Tsuruno. She was sure that this smile was real. Hers always were.<br/>
“Hey yourself.” Tsuruno said, smiling at her. It was time for that old faithful facade to come back. The usual greeting they had fallen into was the perfect way to really sell that she was fine when just the opposite was true. She then leaned in to give Momoko a kiss on the lips- something that Tsuruno’s classmates were not used to seeing. Tsuruno was sure that they got a few weird stares from either the teacher or the straggling students, but she didn’t care. And if Tsuruno knew Momoko, she knew the blonde probably didn’t care either.<br/>
“Ready?” Momoko asked, and Tsuruno nodded, holding up her lunch bag. Just like usual, it was a dish from Banbanzai. Tsuruno hadn’t cared enough to look today to see just what it was she’d be eating.<br/>
“Great. Roof?” Momoko asked. Tsuruno shook her head.<br/>
“I was thinking we sit at the fountain up front? If that’s okay?”</p><p>Momoko raised an eyebrow at the question, smiling. Tsuruno wasn’t one to ask for permission for something like that. Usually she’d suggest it and Momoko would go through with it out of love or… something that Tsuruno was suddenly intensely hoping wasn’t pity. When that eyebrow fell, so did a sick feeling in her gut.</p><p>“Sure. Let’s go.” Momoko said, jerking her head back in the direction of the stairs. If there was any indication that Momoko had actually noticed something weird about the way she acted just now, it was gone, Tsuruno had missed it. When Momoko pushed off of the doorway she had been leaning on, she walked fast, leaving Tsuruno for once having to run ahead to catch up with her.<br/>
“Know what you wanna do this afternoon?” Tsuruno asked.<br/>
“I was thinking about going hunting, but since we got those two Witches yesterday I don’t think we really need to.” Momoko said. Tsuruno shrugged in response.<br/>
“I have two right now.” Tsuruno said as Momoko fished for her hand, interlinking their fingers. Tsuruno looked down, the fake smile on her face widening a little. Normally, she’d feel way happier after having this happen, but now, it felt just as hollow as everything else around her. The world had gone gray, and nobody else could see it.</p><p>“I’ve got… three? Yeah.”<br/>
“You’re welcome, by the way.” Tsuruno said, sticking her tongue out at Momoko, who repaid her the favor after a goofy smile.<br/>
“I told you to take it.”<br/>
“I’ll get the next one, no biggie. Besides, you took more damage that fight anyway.”<br/>
“I’m the tank, okay? I don’t have those fancy fireballs like you do. All I’ve got is my sword!” Momoko said. Though they were literally talking about life and death situations, Momoko found some amount of entertainment from it- if the wide smile and squeeze of Tsuruno’s hand was anything to go by.<br/>
“I like my fireballs.” Tsuruno said, nudging Momoko playfully with her shoulder. “Those backflips are fun to do. You know… when we aren’t in trouble.”<br/>
“Yeah.” Momoko said. Tsuruno had immediately gone to the worst possible scenario in the current line of conversation. Or at least the most dangerous one. They knew full well there was a possibility that would be far, far worse than just ‘being in danger.’ But Tsuruno, even when in the depths of whatever to call this emptiness she felt, knew not to dwell on that possibility. “So anyway, like I was saying- since we don’t need to hunt, wanna go bowling?”<br/>
“Bowling?” Tsuruno asked.</p><p>They reached the front of the school just as the word flew from Tsuruno’s mouth. Momoko sat down on the edge of the water fountain, patting the spot next to her as she put her bento box on her lap.</p><p>Dammit.</p><p>Momoko was absolutely adorable like that. Looking up at her from where she sat, a smile on her face, a twinkle in her eye… not to mention the pleasant sounds of the fountain bubbling behind her and birds chirping in the background.Tsuruno could fall in love with her all over again from just this one angle. If not for the intense emptiness she still felt, she might have.</p><p>So instead she just opted to sit down next to her. Slowly this time. With her usual bravado, she might have very well fallen into the water as she leaned back after sitting. Opening her own lunch, she saw a heartwarming sight. Or at least, what should have been one.</p><p>Her father had done a little something extra today. A portion of fried rice, half a sushi roll, a few pieces of sashimi, but what was special was the design atop the fried rice. Her name was written out in ketchup, clear as day. The smile on her face wasn’t entirely forced. She nudged Momoko and held the meal up to her, bragging about how loving her father was.</p><p>But it was all for naught. Just as quickly as that emptiness had vanished, it returned -  to the point where he could have left a single grain of raw rice in the box and Tsuruno wouldn’t have cared any less. As much as she might appreciate his efforts on a normal day, this was not that day.</p><p>“I almost don’t wanna eat it, it’s so cute!” Tsuruno said. It took a bit extra effort to get that out, the smile she wore fading for a moment. It was hard, maintaining this level of energy when she simply didn’t care. Tsuruno just hoped they could get through… bowling? Apparently? In one piece.<br/>
“Wanna trade?” Momoko asked, holding out her sandwich. Tsuruno shook her head.<br/>
“No. I’m okay. Unless you want to?” She asked, looking to Momoko with the most genuine expression she had given all day. Apathetic neutrality.</p><p>Momoko looked at her for a moment, then down at both of their meals, before shaking her head.<br/>
“No, I’m okay. Thank you though.” She said, leaning in to give Tsuruno a kiss on the cheek.<br/>
“No prob.” Tsuruno said in a mutter before digging in, using the spoon found within her bento.<br/>
“You okay?” Momoko asked before either of them ate a single bite. Tsuruno redoubled her efforts, nodding her head as hard as she could as she looked to Momoko, the brightest smile yet. It had to be perfect. She couldn’t know. No way.<br/>
“Yeah! Of course I am! I’m the Mightiest Magical Girl! I’m totally okay!” Tsuruno said.<br/>
“Okay, just checking.”<br/>
“Yep yep! Toooootally fine!” Lies. They were all lies, but they were necessary lies as much as Tsuruno hated telling them. This was what she had to do. </p><p>In order to get stronger, she had to beat this by whatever means necessary.</p><p>Eating lunch had been a pretty quick affair, though Tsuruno knew that came with a certain risk. Eat faster, and let there be more downtime before the lunch break ended, which meant that there would be more time to talk. More time for Momoko to figure out that something was the matter. But she couldn’t rightly just skip out on hanging out with her girlfriend. Not when Momoko knew that she didn’t have any friends that went to school here. Her classmates were nice, but they just didn’t understand what she was going through.</p><p>Not like Momoko did.</p><p>But she wasn’t about to rely on her for everything. She could do this on her own, right? For the first time in her life, Tsuruno wasn’t sure. And the way Momoko looked at her was just… heartbreaking. She was so concerned, the longer they sat there the more little worried looks Tsuruno was getting. But she couldn’t rightly tell her what was going on. But the more she looked at that slightly furrowed brow, the way her lips moved, her eyes twinkling with some kind of thought that Tsuruno couldn’t help but be nervous about…</p><p>“Hey, so about the concert this weekend?” Tsuruno asked, a smile forced on her face. Letting Momoko talk about something she enjoyed would be better than the alternative. If Momoko was going to be happy through this conversation, then hopefully Tsuruno could capture a bit of that happiness for herself.<br/>
“Yeah? What about?” Sure enough, Momoko perked up at that, raising an eyebrow, smiling. There it was. A smile. A thing that would let Tsuruno distract her from what she may or may not want to talk about.<br/>
“I dunno, I just wanted to ask about it a little.” Tsuruno said, initially unsure of how exactly to handle the situation now that Momoko had responded in the way she wanted her to.<br/>
“Sure. Umm…” Momoko said, and Tsuruno held that same excitable expression on her face, waiting for her to respond. This was perfect, exactly what Tsuruno wanted to do. Forget eating, forget spending quality time with Momoko right now. The only important thing was that she made sure that she was able to get back to her own warm bed, away from all the pressures building up around her. She just wanted to get away from the pain that was following her around. It hurt so much.<br/>
“I’ve listened to a bunch of her music already with you, but is there anything else I might have missed? Are there gonna be songs that I haven’t heard yet?” Tsuruno asked. The music was okay. Not her cup of tea, but definitely not bad at all. So this was a good jumping off point. It’d work.<br/>
“I mean probably not. I already showed you all her popular stuff, so maybe there’s one or two songs she breaks out that are older or less popular. Maybe a new one? But that’s not likely.” Momoko said, that smile still present.<br/>
“Okay!”<br/>
“Why all of a sudden?”</p><p>And then the smile faded a bit, and that furrowed brow returned. Oh, how Tsuruno longed to be free of its gaze, to just be happy hanging out with Momoko. Why couldn’t today just be one of those days?</p><p>“No reason!” Tsuruno said quickly, loudly. Apparently, too quick and too loud for Momoko’s liking. She sighed, scooting a little closer. Tsuruno knew that Momoko knew that there were things bothering her. For a while, they were fine. Ever since they started dating, those days had been fewer and further between, Tsuruno able to cite Banbanzai as a reason to skip out on hanging out with her.  Today wasn’t gonna be one of those days, sadly.<br/>
“Are you sure?” Momoko asked, pressing even closer. Tsuruno’s heart quickened, her stomach churned, filled with the greasy lunch she had just inhaled.<br/>
“Yeah. Totally sure. I’m suuuuper great!” Tsuruno said, forcing her smile to grow.</p><p>Momoko wasn’t sold. At least, not immediately. The look held for a moment, and it took a kiss of the lips and a bit of reassuring to get her to back off. </p><p>“Really, I’m fine, okay? I’m just really excited to be able to go and do something with you that you’ve really been looking forward to.” Tsuruno said.<br/>
“Alright. I worry about you sometimes, you know?” Momoko asked.<br/>
“I know, but really it’s okay, alright? Look at me, I’m so great right now it’s not even funny!” Tsuruno’s words were growing more and more nonsensical- moreso than she usually was. It wasn’t quite desperation, but the pressing sense that she just needed to get away was stronger now more than ever. But she couldn’t. That would mean explaining what was going on to Momoko, or hurting her feelings, lacking that.<br/>
“But you are funny.” Momoko said, sticking her tongue out a bit at Tsuruno.</p><p>Phew. Crisis averted? Hopefully?</p><p>“So are you!” Tsuruno said. She had no idea what she was doing by now, but it seemed to be working. And as much fun as messing around with Momoko like this usually was… it just didn’t have the same ring to it.<br/>
“Am not! I just…”<br/>
“Make jokes?”<br/>
“That nobody laughs at.”<br/>
“I do.”<br/>
“Sometimes.”<br/>
“When they’re funny!” Tsuruno said, teasing her, leaning in for another kiss.</p><p>Before they broke off, the school bell was ringing, signaling them to return to their classrooms. At least there was a bit of saving grace to all of this. Before the bell had finished its toll, both girls were already standing up, lunch equipment packed up and neatly in hand.</p><p>“Time to go!” Tsuruno said, turning back towards the school.<br/>
“Right behind you!” Momoko said. While Tsuruno wouldn’t have left her behind, the thought did cross her mind. It held more weight than she would have liked it to. Being like this, not wanting to be around the one person who could make her happy when she so desperately needed it, it wasn’t fun. Tsuruno was losing her grip on sanity now, not knowing whether to keep going, to stop here and demand her body let go of whatever this was, or to just…</p><p>No. She had to keep going. That was the only option now. Anything else would be a cowardly move. And Tsuruno was no coward. That’s why she stood strong in the face of danger, not letting the dark thoughts get to her. It was needlessly broody and she knew it. These thoughts needed to go away. This should have been a happy lunch break, but instead, she just let it consume her, entirely.</p><p>“Here.” Momoko said. Tsuruno’s head snapped up and looked around. Somehow, they had arrived at Tsuruno’s classroom. Momoko walking her there wasn’t something that ever happened. It was always Tsuruno who was making sure that her kouhai girlfriend had made it to her class. The only other time Momoko had been up here in recent memory was before lunch. Today.<br/>
“Huh? Oh, yeah!” Tsuruno said. As soon as she got her bearings on her surroundings. Indeed, the quickly refilling room of desks and students milling about gave a clear image to just how long Tsuruno had been spaced out for. She hadn’t meant to do that at all. But she could at least put her game face back on, give Momoko a smile that would hopefully tell her that everything was alright- even if it wasn’t.<br/>
“See you later, right?” Momoko asked, moving in to kiss Tsuruno’s cheek once. When Tsuruno nodded, Momoko took a step back towards the stairwell.<br/>
“Yeah, later!” Tsuruno said, winking at her before going back to her desk.</p><p>When she arrived, she slumped into it- though first making sure that Momoko wasn’t anywhere in sight, crossed her arms over the wood of the desk, and lowered her head, obscuring her face from view.</p><p>Tears threatened to come trickling out of her eyes. Tsuruno knew this feeling well. Mostly when she was alone, no stranger to crying herself to sleep in the middle of a dark room. As much as she wished she could be alone right now, she knew that she had to keep going. At least finish up class in one piece. Blowing off Momoko’s request to hang out was becoming a more and more appealing venture.</p><p>“Ms. Yui?” The voice of an adult female broke Tsuruno’s train of thought once more. Unlike on her way back, she had spent the majority of this one trying not to cry, and only barely succeeding. She knew she was stronger than that- she had to be. But when she looked up to see her teacher’s and by extension classes’ concerned faces staring back at her, she knew she was off her game today.<br/>
“Yes? Sorry, I…” Tsuruno trailed off, not knowing how to answer.<br/>
“Is something wrong?” The woman asked. She was always kind and understanding when others had issues like this, but it was never her. Tsuruno messed up by keeping her head down, but she hadn’t even heard class start. Looking around her, she saw most everybody’s textbooks open on their desks. Hers was empty.</p><p>So Tsuruno did the only thing she knew how to do today: Pretend like nothing was wrong. She shook her head, wiped her eyes- which were sadly a bit moist- and reached into her bag, pulling out a notebook.</p><p>“I’m okay!” Tsuruno said.<br/>
“Are you sure?”<br/>
“Yep yep!”<br/>
“Okay. Let’s continue, then.”</p><p>Tsuruno breathed a sigh of relief when the teacher ignored her probably red face and definitely moist eyes. She felt like she had been crying even if it was never technically true. She had lost her grip today. Being even more out of it than usual wasn’t a good sign.</p><p>So she could only wait for the bell to ring, letting her out of this misery and into another kind.</p><p>When it did, Tsuruno was the first out the door, but not for the usual reasons. Now, she just wanted to go home, to curl up under her sheets, and take a nap. Momoko might let her do just that. Hopefully.</p><p>“Hey!” Momoko said when Tsuruno greeted her in the hallway. They shared a kiss there, the signs of her earlier tears too faint to spot. That was the hope, anyway.<br/>
“Hey.” Tsuruno said back.<br/>
“Ready?”<br/>
“Change of plans, actually.” Tsuruno said. She wasn’t about to drop everything and go home. Just everything except Momoko.<br/>
“What’s up?” Momoko asked, furrowing her brow.</p><p>Dammit. There it was again. But it was fine. She was about to fix this.</p><p>“I’m… kinda tired. Mind if we just go back to my place?” Tsuruno asked. Momoko breathed a sigh of relief.<br/>
“Oh, that’s all? Yeah, we can!” She said, and Tsuruno nodded.<br/>
“Alright! Thanks.”<br/>
“You’re welcome?” </p><p>Momoko’s tone was one of abject confusion, but since Tsuruno didn’t hear a complaint from her, she was just gonna go with it. Forget Witch hunting, forget Banbanzai, all she needed right now was a dark room, a pillow, and a soft mattress to cry on. In addition, she’d also be getting a Momoko along with… which pretty much guaranteed that she wouldn’t get any crying done until the blonde left.</p><p>“Let’s just go!” Tsuruno said. The words came out far more gruffly than she had intended as she grabbed Momoko’s hand, pulling her down the hallway and out the door.</p><p>She didn’t talk much the whole way back, simply walked along silently, holding Momoko’s hand tight, thinking about absolutely nothing, for there was nothing to think about. Her bed was calling for her stronger than it ever had before, and she’d not rest until she rested upon it.</p><p>They got back to the restaurant and Tsuruno gave a silent wave to her father before opening the door to the second floor apartment, pulling Momoko up. When she closed the door to her bedroom, Tsuruno dropped her school bag where she stood, walked across the clothing-covered floor, jumping up, and landing on her long-awaited mattress, already curling up into the fetal position.</p><p>“Tsuruno…” Momoko said softly, slowly, and only then did Tsuruno realize her mistake. But what was done was done, she didn’t bother trying to fix it now. Even if this didn’t feel nearly as good as she had hoped.<br/>
“What’s up?” She asked, trying to keep her voice steady, though between the pit in her stomach and the pain in her chest, that was harder now than ever before.<br/>
“You. You’ve been acting weird all day. Is something wrong?” Momoko asked, looking down at the abject mess of the room before crossing across the void, standing in front of her.</p><p>As much as she had been looking forward to this, all those hours spent trying to get back here as quickly as possible, and laying here on the bed wasn’t helping. This always helped a little bit, but by now she was usually bawling. Tsuruno uncurled herself slowly, moving to sit up. Her legs were dangling off the edge of the mattress, tips of her toes pressed against Momoko’s legs as the other girl leaned in. They kissed once on the lips, parting slowly, Momoko cupping Tsuruno’s cheeks with both hands. Nothing about this had brought the slightest bit of relief, which was perhaps the most frustrating part about all of this. And to make matters worse, she had brought Momoko along for the ride. She was bound to see something that Tsuruno would prefer to keep hidden.</p><p>Dammit.</p><p>“Hey.” Momoko whispered.<br/>
“Hey…” Tsuruno said back, averting her eyes, not wanting to make eye contact. She didn’t even care now. Momoko knew something was up, but she wasn’t about to spill the beans now.<br/>
“Tsuruno, what’s going on?”<br/>
“It’s nothing.”<br/>
“No, it’s not nothing. You’ve been like this since lunch. If something’s bothering you, you can tell me. I’m your girlfriend. I’m here for you.”</p><p>Silence. Tsuruno didn’t say anything. She didn’t know what to say. The pain in her chest was welling up with an alarming rate, and she could feel her cheeks flush, tears starting to collect just beneath her eyelids. Any moment now, they’d streak down her cheeks.</p><p>They did before she could say anything, falling onto Momoko’s fingers, causing a little gasp from the girl, who pulled Tsuruno into a hug.</p><p>“I’m just… I’m…” Tsuruno said, already at a loss for words after just a moment of finally being alone enough broke her will down this far. There wasn’t anything she could say to explain herself. All that seemed less important than just letting the sadness escape her the only way she knew how. Momoko being here was an annoyance- an extra layer of guilt that she felt about the whole thing. But it was too late now. Now, she could only cry, and hope that it was enough.</p><p>And thus the dams broke.</p><p>She closed her eyes, pulled her arms around Momoko’s back, and pulled tightly. Her face buried deep in Momoko’s neck, the source of a waterfall of tears collecting at Momoko’s school uniform. Tsuruno didn’t care anymore. She didn’t care that Momoko was a witness to the one thing that she had sword not to show anyone anymore. She didn’t care that she was once again relying on her girlfriend when it should have been her who was the shoulder to cry on. Too many times this had happened. Far too many.</p><p>Tsuruno cried. She cried for the loss of feeling, the loss of any emotion at all other than sadness and misery. She cried for her own misfortune, for Momoko’s for being here right now. She cried for making Momoko feel forced into this, for making her sit through another one of her awful emotional spats.</p><p>But mostly, Tsuruno just cried. She didn’t know why she needed to, but need to she did. It hurt, it sucked, and Tsuruno wanted nothing more than to be done with it and never have to face days like this again. </p><p>She didn’t know how long she was crying for. When she got like this, time ceased to be important. She could have laid here all night until her tears finally ran dry, or she could have gone for five minutes if she was fine after that. Though Tsuruno desperately wished that this sadness would leave her after five minutes of crying like this. Then at least she could have an easier go at trying to be happy. Holding onto Momoko tightly did help a little. She felt… a little more at ease with Momoko here. Having something concrete to hold onto other than her own legs made it easier. Momoko’s back wasn’t the thing she expected to hold on to today, but as the tears kept coming, Tsuruno felt more confident that this was fine. But it still hurt. The pain was still there. Even though Momoko was here making her feel better, it still hurt. And Tsuruno didn’t know why it hurt as badly as it did. Nothing happened, so she should be fine. But she wasn’t. She was crying and she had been miserable all day leading up to now.</p><p>When she cried, she always felt that empty void surrounding her, clearing her mind of all thoughts save for her own sorrow. With Momoko here, with that huggable, kind, beautiful girl laying next to her, there were thoughts in her head. Thoughts of Momoko. How she didn’t want to make her sad by doing this, how she wanted to be a better, stronger, Mightier person for her. For her. It was definitely for her. For herself as well, but Tsuruno knew that having a catalyst other than her own ego would be a far greater motivator. She could only hope now that the tears she had already wept would help her move on.</p><p>And even if they didn’t, she knew that she could always have another cry on her own. Momoko didn’t need to be here for them. But… but…</p><p>It was kind of nice, having her here. knowing that she was being comforted. Even if it was just to silently lay there next to her and hold her like she was doing now, it might be enough. No, it would be more than enough. It wasn’t confidence so much as it was knowing that Momoko would always be there for her through thick and thin. This was one of the thinner moments, and yet here she was, holding onto her for dear life, letting her soak her shoulder with tears. Tsuruno really did love her...</p><p>Eventually, Tsuruno’s tears slowed enough for Momoko to loosen her grip and lower them down onto the bed. Once there, Tsuruno pulled into Momoko again, head on her collarbone, making a small thud with the impact, once more wrapping her arms around the other woman tightly. The torrent coming from her eyes was gone, replaced with a slow but steady series of sobs.</p><p>“Feel better?” Momoko asked.<br/>
“A little…” Tsuruno said.<br/>
“So… What’s wrong? Tell me, please.” Momoko said. The desperation in her voice was apparent. Tsuruno didn’t want to. She really didn’t want to have to do this again.<br/>
“More of the same, I guess. Remember how I said I get days when I just… you know… feel really sad?”<br/>
“Yeah…”<br/>
“Well… today was one of those.” Tsuruno said with a sniffle.<br/>
“I would never have guessed until this afternoon. You seemed fine earlier. I’m sorry. I should have noticed.”</p><p>That was entirely the point. Tsuruno had tried her hardest to make sure that Momoko didn’t see this, and yet here she was now, watching it unfold. All the day’s efforts had been wasted as she lay here next to her girlfriend.</p><p>“Not your fault. I… I didn’t want you to know.” Tsuruno said, looking up at Momoko. Her heart broke watching Momoko’s expression turn from concern to abject sadness, her own eyes watering immediately, face flushing.<br/>
“Wh… why not?” Momoko asked. Tsuruno could feel the other girl’s hands trembling on her back. That hurt almost as much as the pain naturally flowing through her.<br/>
“I just… I don’t know… I… I… I don’t want anybody to know. This is my struggle, this is the stupid stuff I’ve gotta deal with. I was trying to deal with it alone.” Tsuruno said, and Momoko sighed.<br/>
“Tsuruno… do you remember what I said last time?”<br/>
“What?”<br/>
“I’m here for you. I want you to be happy because you deserve to be happy. Being sad for no reason isn’t being very happy. So… let me fix it. Or at least try to help.” Momoko said, Tsuruno closed her eyes, sighing.<br/>
“And that’s the thing. Nothing helps. I’ve tried everything I can to cheer up on days like this. Hanging out with you, fighting Witches, playing video games… Momoko I even tried studying on my own to see if that helped. But I still feel… empty… like nothing matters.”<br/>
“Tsuruno…”<br/>
“So… I just want to lay here and cry. It’s the only thing that helps.”</p><p>Momoko didn’t say anything for a moment, during which Tsuruno lay her head back down and started to sob again. There was a certain catharsis in having Momoko here that was different from being along. These sobs just… felt better than the crying spats alone. Better than the one she had been longing for all day. Not by much, but Momoko’s presence here was nice.</p><p>“How long has this been going on for?” Momoko asked. She knew that Tsuruno had days where she felt down, but Tsuruno had never told her the full extent of the problem.<br/>
“Since forever, basically. I don’t remember a time when… when I didn’t have this problem.”<br/>
“Tsuruno....”<br/>
“I’m okay, really. I can handle this.”<br/>
“You don’t have to handle this alone. Tsuruno, I’m here for you. I’ll always be here for you… I…” Momoko paused, pulling Tsuruno’s chin up until she was making eye contact with the distraught girl. </p><p>The last thing Tsuruno expected to hear out of her was what came next. </p><p>“I love you.” Momoko said.<br/>
“You… I…” Tsuruno was stunned speechless for a moment. Jaw dropped, eyes sparkling with something other than tears for once.</p><p>“You what?” Momoko asked, whispering.<br/>
“I love you, too.” Tsuruno whispered back. Momoko couldn’t help but giggle, leaning in for a kiss, one that was reciprocated with an intensity that had yet to occur that day.</p><p>“”You know... “ Tsuruno said after breaking the kiss. “I had planned on telling you at the concert.”<br/>
“That would have been really dang romantic… but you’re sad, and I really hate it when you’re sad. If messing up your plan like that is how I can make you happy, then fine.” Momoko said, winking at her.</p><p>Tsuruno… giggled? She… she giggled? Was that… Tsuruno couldn’t believe it. She actually was cheering up a little bit.</p><p>“I just hope it keeps cheering me up in the future.” Tsuruno said.<br/>
“Me too.” Momoko said.</p><p>The two lay there for a while longer. Tsuruno still sobbed occasionally, but those three little words playing back in her head on repeat took away a lot of the sting of the hurt she’d been feeling. It took away a lot of the pain, a lot of the anxiety. It was still there, but Momoko somehow always knew just what to say when Tsuruno was down.</p><p>After thinking about it, she always did. Momoko really was a lovely, beautiful shoulder to cry on.</p><p>“Hey.” Tsuruno said, looking up at Momoko. The sun was setting, as seen by the orange light flooding her room through the window.<br/>
“Hey yourself.” Momoko said, their usual greeting back. Tsuruno smiled at that a bit, just for a moment.<br/>
“You wouldn’t mind if I used you like this again, would you?”<br/>
“I’ll be your shoulder to cry on whenever you need. I’m here for you. I love you.”<br/>
“I love you, too. Thank you.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know this update has been quite a bit slower than what I'm normally pushing out chapters at. I've had a bit going on- both irl and in my free time- that was taking me away from writing this. I'm not sure how long it'll keep going for (Hopefully not much longer), but I do know that I'm very eager to get back to it on a daily basis like I had been before. So sorry for the wait, and I do hope y'all enjoyed. I've got some really fun stuff coming up that I'm super excited about, so stay tuned!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was finally here. It was finally here! Momoko stood in the middle of her room pacing excitedly. Looking down at the ground with a smile on her face, trying desperately to shake off some of the nervous energy consuming her entire being. The SayuSayu concert was tomorrow, and Momoko was going to have front-row seats to the show. She could put her hands up on the stage if she wanted to from that close! SayuSayu would be right there within shouting distance. She’d be able to hear every excited shout Momoko hurled towards the front, be able to watch every wave of her hands, every jump up and down. She’d probably be able to hear Momoko singing along with the words. She knew every song. </p><p>Momoko looked over at her alarm clock. 11:30PM and Momoko’s body showed no signs of stopping. She had already cleaned her room spotless, spent at least half an hour just staring at those tickets with a goofy grin on her face, picked out her clothes, looked up the times, asked for a little extra money from her mom just in case she didn’t have enough… and she still couldn’t sleep. It was Friday night. No school tomorrow afternoon and no need to go to bed early tomorrow night. She and Tsuruno could go back home after morning classes, change, and hang out until it was time to go. Despite knowing all of that, Momoko still couldn’t lie down for long before feeling the need to move around again.</p><p>As much as she wanted to be frustrated with her totally natural bodily functions, Momoko knew that they were natural. There had been precious few times in her life when she had been this excited about something. It was so close, yet so far away. If only her body would cooperate with her and relax enough to fall asleep, it would be even closer. But no. She just had to wait it out, wait for the nerves to subside long enough to probably pass out from exhaustion well into the night. Luckily, between her Magical Girl stamina and her excitement already making her lose her mind, Momoko knew she’d be plenty energized for the concert. If only she could pass enough time to get there in the first place. Then she’d be set.</p><p>But no matter what, she just couldn’t settle down. Her mind was racing with possibilities. She wanted to be there now, to experience everything the venue had to offer, to hold up glow sticks and wave them around like an idiot, to see SayuSayu right there in front of her, singing directly to her. Momoko wanted to show Tsuruno what her biggest hobby was all about. She’d love it, Momoko knew, once she took her there. The only issue was, it was so far away that she could barely stand it!</p><p>Flopping down onto her bed, Momoko turned on her phone, scrolling through her contacts until she found Tsuruno’s name. She smiled widely at it, but knew better than to call or even text her. It was almost midnight, and she had worked waiting tables at Banbanzai tonight. She was tired. And she’d need the energy for tomorrow. So as much as Momoko wanted to talk to her, she knew better. That didn’t mean that she couldn’t stare at her name in her contact list for a minute… before closing that and opening her pictures. They had taken a few together. Mostly selfies, mostly either at school or on dates. All of them cute. Save for the screenshots of various websites and idol forum posts, that was pretty much the only thing she had saved in her phone photo-wise.</p><p>One of Tsuruno at Banbanzai, taking a family’s order in her red apron. One of the two Tsuruno kissing Momoko on the cheek, the fence lining the school’s roof as a backdrop. One of the two of them laying in bed, both giggling. Momoko smiled even wider at that one. She remembered that morning. Or rather, what had happened the night before… one of the most magical moments of their relationship. Another picture, this one of Momoko taking a selfie dressed in her school uniform. Tsuruno was sitting behind her, hunched over her desk. There was a test the next day Tsuruno needed to study for, and Momoko was just there, hanging out, unfortunately unable to be of much help due to not having covered that content yet.</p><p>They were all so cute, and they were all hers. She’d treasure them forever.</p><p>No matter how cute they were, though, they still didn’t help her settle down any! Seeing Tsuruno so cute like that just made Momoko even more excited. Now she wanted to hang out with her girlfriend on top of actually going to the concert. Sure, she’d hang out with her then, but Momoko just wanted her here to cuddle up with, to watch her sleep with that peaceful expression on her face. An expression that she deserved after hiding so much pain away. Momoko knew she deserved happiness more than anybody else in the world.</p><p>And yet, she was the one who was striving every day to make sure that Momoko was happier than the day before. Tomorrow would be all about her, Momoko knew, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t try to make Tsuruno a little happier, too. So Momoko resolved stronger than before to make sure that Tsuruno enjoyed herself.</p><p>That thought finally helped her mind rest a little. No longer were the infinite possibilities of tomorrow swirling through her head. Just one was. The thought of Tsuruno’s smiling face.</p><p>Momoko peeled back the sheets on her bed, sliding underneath them after turning off the light. Eyes closed, a smile on her face, and so, so ready to see what the future had in store for them. The alarm clock showed well past 1AM, but at last, Momoko had worn herself out long enough to finally get some rest.</p><p>That morning came, and Momoko woke up to her alarm after barely a few hours of sleep. More than one she had woken up in the middle of the night only to find that it wasn’t quite time to roll out of bed and shower yet. But finally her alarm cawed at six o’clock sharp, and Momoko was out of bed seconds after it did. A wide smile on her face already shown as she stood up and headed over to her bathroom.</p><p>A quick shower, a quick breakfast, and a quick packing of her schoolbag later and she was out the door. Momoko didn’t usually run to school, but there were some days when it was totally worth it. The morning of the SayuSayu concert was one of those moments. Momoko was in a rush to get to school so that school could be over so that she and Tsuruno could go back and get ready. She wasn’t sure if Tsuruno was going to change or not, but Momoko wouldn’t be caught dead front row of her favorite musician’s concert hall wearing her school uniform. No way! Besides, how would she show off the shirt she bought online if she was wearing a sailor uniform?</p><p>Before she knew it, she was already at Banbanzai’s doorstep, staring at the quaint little restaurant with no small smile before knocking and walking in.<br/>“Tsurunooo?” Momoko called out, a twinkle in her eye as she scanned the empty dining area.</p><p>Instead of the girl herself showing up, Tsuruno’s father poked his head out of the kitchen, waving her forward.</p><p>“Momoko! Come in! Tsuruno’s still upstairs, I think she’s still getting ready.” He said jovially.<br/>“Oh, okay. Would you mind if I went up?” Momoko asked, suddenly very sheepish about the question- a certain sleepover running through her mind. Did he know? Hopefully not…<br/>“Not at all, not at all! Make yourself at home!” He said, motioning towards the door.<br/>“Thank you!” Momoko said, already rushing in her socks towards the stairs, which were kept up two or three at a time, not even trying to mask her noise or excitement in the slightest.</p><p>She got to the top of the steps, and then through the familiar hallway into Tsuruno’s room. Flinging open the door, she saw the girl standing there in front of her bed just as she was sliding her uniform shirt on, already fully clothed.</p><p>“Tsuruno!” Momoko said loudly, dropping her school bag in the doorway, crossing the room to pull her into a hug.<br/>“Oh! Momo, hey!” She said as they hugged, and then kissed. Breaking apart, Momoko didn’t even bother to check on the cleanliness of the room like she usually did. Nerves running high, already jittery even if the concert wasn’t until tonight. She smiled at Tsuruno.<br/>“So, ready?” Momoko asked.<br/>“Yep yep! So ready! I can’t wait for you to meet Sayuki. I’m sure you two will hit it off!” Tsuruno said, making Momoko only giggle that much louder.<br/>“I still can’t believe you randomly met SayuSayu in the middle of a Labyrinth! Have you seen her since then?” Momoko asked.<br/>“No, but we’ve been talking!”<br/>“Whoa, so it’s like you’re actually really friends!” Momoko couldn’t help but be excited for her girlfriend. She thought the world of both Tsuruno and of SayuSayu. Knowing that the two got along so well warmed her heart.<br/>“Yeah, we are! And don’t worry, Momo, soon you will be, too!” Tsuruno said, pulling Momoko in for another kiss.</p><p>This kiss was soft and sweet, like many of theirs often were, but with the conversation that was on hand just before Tsuruno pulled Momoko in for it made her lips taste even better. Her lips were cold, especially moist, and her breath just tasted good. Momoko had never tasted evidence that someone had just finished brushing their teeth, but the minty flavor that was on Tsuruno’s lips and later tongue only proved that to her. When they pulled away, Momoko smirked at her.</p><p>“What?”<br/>“Mint?” Momoko asked. Tsuruno smiled and nodded.<br/>“Yep! Twice a day means my teeth will always be super strong!” Tsuruno said.<br/>“Yeah. Yeah, that’s right.” Momoko couldn’t help but laugh along with Tsuruno at that, diving in for another kiss.</p><p>This time, Momoko put her hand on the back of Tsuruno’s head, pulling her in for more. Eyes closed, a soft moan on her lips, a hand around the older girl’s waist, Momoko fell in even deeper. For a moment- for just a split second- she had forgotten all about the concert. All about SayuSayu. All about her excitement for the day’s events. In that one moment, it was just her and Tsuruno, expressing their love for one another like nothing else in the world mattered.</p><p>But there were things that mattered today. Big, important things. Things that Momoko wouldn’t miss for the world. So she broke the kiss and took a step back, grabbing hold of one of Tsuruno’s hands.</p><p>“Well come on then, sweetie. We’ve got classes to take, right?” Momoko asked. When Tsuruno nodded, she pulled her forward a bit before letting go of her hand.</p><p>Once both school bags were gathered and hands once more held, the two girls made their way down the steps, where they were greeted by Tsuruno’s father at the bottom.</p><p>“Mornin’, sweetie!” He said loudly. In each of his hands was a cloth wrapping with what was obviously a rectangular shaped box inside.<br/>“Goooood morning!” Tsuruno called back.<br/>“Excited for today? You’ve been talking about it for a while!’<br/>“Yeah, but I think Momoko’s even more excited. It’s gonna be fun seeing Sayuki again!” Tsuruno said.</p><p>Tsuruno was the first to take one of the bags from the man, but Momoko reached out her own hand and took the other at first his, then at Tsuruno’s offering.</p><p>“How did you meet her again? Even if she’s just a local idol it’s a crazy coincidence that you just happened upon her!” He said, and Tsuruno nodded.<br/>“Yeah, remember that day I went buy rice when we were busy? She needed some help and I ran into her on my way to the shop. So I helped her…” Tsuruno took a look at Momoko, smiling widely before leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek.<br/>“And that helped me a lot, too. I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks.” Momoko said.<br/>“I’m sure it’s going to be lots of fun for both of you.” Tsuruno’s father said, nodding. “Well, I won’t keep you too long. I’m sure you girls have somewhere to be. School doesn’t wait around for stragglers, you know!”<br/>“I know! I’ve never been locked out before!” Tsuruno shouted.<br/>“What’s that like?” Momoko said under her breath, but still found enough humor in her girlfriend’s words to chuckle.<br/>“Well anyway, we gotta get going! I don’t know about you, Momo, but I don’t wanna break my perfect attendance record!”<br/>“I wouldn’t want you to break it. So let’s get going.”<br/>“Yep yep!”</p><p>And with that, Momoko waved a goodbye to Tsuruno’s father and let her beautiful, wonderful girlfriend pull her out the restaurant she called home.</p><p>Momoko wasn’t often one to run to school, but today she found herself wanting to. Even more than she had wanted to run to Banbanzai after leaving her own home. She was just so excited, and letting anything get in the way of that excitement wasn’t on the menu for today. Nope. Not at all. So once they were outside, it was Momoko pulling Tsruruno along, racing forward as if that would help the fated hour arrive any quicker.</p><p>It wouldn’t, but that didn’t mean Momoko wasn’t allowed to try.</p><p>“How are you feeling today?” Momoko asked. Their hands were gripped tight together as they ran alongside one another at an almost unnaturally quick pace. They could go faster, but Momoko had learned from Yachiyo the importantce of looking passably fit to onlookers.<br/>“Happy! Very happy!” Tsuruno said. Momoko knew that she wasn’t against lying about such things, but hearing and seeing how she had acted thus far this morning, she was sure that those words were truth.<br/>“Good! Me too!” Momoko said. Keeping perfect pass, the two were able to look at one another and share a smile all while running in step with one another.<br/>“Good!”</p><p>Momoko knew that Tsuruno was doing this all for her. Friendship with SayuSayu seemed to be a bonus to her. What really mattered- as made obvious by the way she had acted about this since first getting those tickets- was Momoko’s happiness. Momoko knew she’d have to do something big to repay the favor eventually. But what exactly that was…</p><p>Well, she could worry about that later. Today was going to be one of the best days of her life. Momoko wanted to live it up while she had the chance to.</p><p>By the time they arrived at school, few students had actually made it into those gates, which were wide open, accepting any pupils that happened to be interested in passing them that morning. Tsuruno was the first to slow down, Momoko soon after. Not even a slight sweat forming on their bodies that they didn’t want there, they were still as fresh as the moment they had each stepped out of the shower that morning, still hand in hand, still in love.</p><p>They walked at a normal pace now until they arrived at Momoko’s classroom. For a second-year to hang out in a first-year classroom until classes began wasn’t necessarily unheard of, but it wasn’t common either. Momoko knew that most tended to date within their year. Momoko’s choice of a significant other was unusual on two accounts- that, and the fact that she was dating another girl. Fortunately, that didn’t seem to bother anybody.</p><p>Even when Tsuruno sat atop Momoko’s desk, and Momoko rested her chin on her thigh as though it were a pillow, holding her gently around her waist. Tsuruno had a hand on Momoko’s back, moving it slowly up and down.</p><p>“I still can’t believe you did it.” Momoko said, eyes closed, enjoying what of Tsuruno’s presence she could while hunched over in her seat.<br/>“I can’t either. It’s crazy, right?” Tsuruno asked.<br/>“It’s all thanks to that Luck of yours, you know?” Momoko asked back. <br/>“Yeah. I got really lucky that day. But I think if my luck would have run out after we started going out, I’d’ve been fine with that.” Tsuruno said, causing Momoko’s stomach to churn. That meant a lot to Momoko. Hearing those words of selflessness- of what was probably sheer happiness to Tsuruno- Momoko’s heart skipped a beat.<br/>“Y-you mean that?” Momoko asked, picking her head up to look at Tsuruno’s face. The hair that was typically set in that side ponytail was draped over the front of her shoulder, streaming down her body, the light reflecting off of both it and her skin to give a representation of an angel sitting on her desk. The windows behind her, that happy, innocent smile she wore, and the clenched fist. All of it was adorable, beautiful… it made Momoko fall in love all over again.</p><p>“I do! I really mean it!” Tsuruno said.<br/>“I love you.” Momoko said, smiling even brighter. It might have been weird to stand up and give Tsuruno a kiss. She wasn’t super anxious about it for her own sake, but rather what those around them thought. She didn’t want to make her classmates uncomfortable my making out with her girlfriend every morning before school. So Momoko settled on a kiss of Tsuruno’s thigh.</p><p>Tsuruno giggled, but as Momoko’s moist lips left the stretch of skin in between the hem of her skirt and the top of her thigh-high socks, she couldn’t help but think that was even weirder than just standing up to mack on her lips for a minute or two.</p><p>“Sorry…” Momoko said, looking around, muttering. Luckily, nobody around them seemed to care. They were all either talking amongst themselves or looking down at their phones or handheld game consoles. As far as anybody else seemed to be concerned, Momoko and Tsuruno were in their own little world. Perfect.<br/>“Don’t be. It was cute.” Tsuruno said.<br/>“You’re cute.”<br/>“Maybe so, but you’re more cute.”<br/>“No way.” Momoko said, shaking her head in disbelief. “But didn’t we come up with a compromise on this one, anyway?”<br/>“Mhmm! We can both be cute together.” Tsuruno said, repeating what they had decided already. Even in saying that, Momoko still thought her girlfriend to be far cuter than Momoko herself could ever be. Not that it mattered. Tsuruno would always think the opposite.</p><p>Matters of cuteness aside, Momoko raised her head again when the school bell chimed for the first time. Looking around, she saw that most of the classroom was already full, voices suddenly buzzing around her. Had they always been like that? Or were they waiting for Momoko to take in her surroundings again after so long of focusing entirely on Tsuruno to chime off? Whatever the case may be, Momoko slowly skilled her hands back, placing them on her lap, letting her girlfriend free from the hug.</p><p>Slowly, Tsuruno slid off the desk as Momoko stood up, moving to give her a quick hug before separating. Each gave the other a kiss on the cheek before Tsuruno took a step backwards, wagging her fingers at Momoko in a wave.</p><p>“See you later, right?” Tsuruno asked, still walking backwards.<br/>“Yeah, of course. I’ll come meet you up there.” Momoko said.<br/>“Right. Wanna eat before we go back?”<br/>“Sure. After that, do you have a change of clothes? We could go to my place before we head out?”<br/>“I… forgot…” Tsuruno said, shaking her head. “Sorry.”<br/>“No, no, it’s fine! I brought some so I can head back with you, okay?” Momoko asked. She found herself having to raise her voice in order to get it heard, but Tsuruno had heard. She nodded.<br/>“Okay! See you later! Love you!” Tsuruno said loudly. A few girl’s heads snapped Tsuruno’s direction, who was at the door now.<br/>“Love you, too!” Momoko shouted back. </p><p>With that, she was gone, ducking back into the hallway.</p><p>Which left Momoko with a sea of girl’s faces turning towards her before her desk was suddenly rushed, gossiping girls interested in hearing her story.</p><p>—</p><p>The walk back to Banbanzai from school that afternoon was a flip of the usual script. Normally in their relationship, it was Tsuruno’s job to be energetic and carefree, and Momoko’s to nod and laugh along with her, marvelling at how cute she was. Today, Momoko knew that just the opposite had been true. Her head was even higher in the clouds than this morning, knowing that the concert was even closer to starting now than before. SayuSayu’s music blasting into her ears, the girl’s shining face and charismatic dance moves closer and closer to appearing just feet from her than ever before. Momoko just couldn’t wait.</p><p>“Tsuruno, this is crazy. Is this real? Am I dreaming?” Momoko asked. She was hand in hand with Tsuruno as per usual, looking at her with a more crazed smile than she typically had. But where it was crazy, it was also definitely excited. More excited than Momoko had ever been in her life… save for one moment, probably.<br/>“Nope, you’re not dreaming! This is real. It’s happening. It’s always been happening!” Tsuruno said, trying to uptick her voice a bit to match Momoko’s in intensity. Momoko wondered if that was difficult for her now. Her voice was thundering in her own ears, and she wasn’t sure if it was the blood rushing to her skill or the fact that she was simply shouting that made her seem louder than she usually was.<br/>“Great. I don’t know what I’d do if I woke up from this dream.” Momoko said.<br/>“Love me, still?” Tsuruno asked. </p><p>Momoko couldn’t help but giggle at that, too. Even when Momoko was excited beyond measure, jittery to the point that her hands were shaking, her step quickened as much as her breath… Tsuruno still managed to find a way to make her even more happy, even giddier, even more in love.</p><p>So she nodded vigorously, closing her eyes, leaning her shoulder against Tsuruno’s, giving her a long kiss on the cheek.</p><p>“Yeah. I’d still love you.” Momoko said. When she opened her eyes, a flash of a memory soared behind them at breakneck pace, causing her to shake her head, squeezing Tsuruno’s hand. “And you know, thanks to that little outburst this morning I got hounded with questions from the girls in my class.”<br/>“Oh? What about?”<br/>“About what it was like to be in love with another girl, about dating you, you know, stuff like that.” Momoko said.<br/>“It wasn’t bad, right?” Tsuruno asked. “I’ll stop if it bothers you.”<br/>“Huh? Oh no, no! That’s not why I’m bringing it up!” Momoko said, slowing down a bit and pulling her in for a kiss on the lips.</p><p>Standing there unmoving, as excited as Momoko was to get to the concert hall, easing Tsuruno’s doubts was easily more important right now.</p><p>“I thought it was fun. It was almost like having friends again, you know?”<br/>“Oh, so it was a good thing! Great!” Tsuruno said. Momoko gave off a small sigh in relief as she nodded her head.<br/>“Yeah. I had never really had that kind of experience before. And you know…” Momoko trailed off as they started walking again, a bit slower, Momoko looking down with a goofy smile on her face, loving just how in love she was.<br/>“I know a lot of things.” Tsuruno said with a snicker.<br/>“I know you do, sweetie. But what I was gonna say was that when girls went on dates, stuff like that happened in our class a lot. It was always with a boy, though. I think that’s the first time any of us ever went on a date with a girl. But whoever it was would always get asked lots of questions like that. I always joined in before we started going out. It always made me so happy hearing their stories. They always looked so, so happy, too. And after having it happen to me, well… I kinda get why.”</p><p>Momoko hadn’t expected such a heartfelt moment today, but she knew that if anybody could give her one like that out of the blue, it was the beautiful half-Chinese girl walking hand in hand with her.</p><p>“Why, then?” Tsuruno asked.<br/>“Because it let me think about you more, that’s why.” Momoko said softly, more meekly than what her loud, jovial tone had been just a moment ago. Tsuruno blushed, and looked away.<br/>“Oh… wow, that’s, that’s really sweet, Momo…” She said.</p><p>Momoko couldn’t help but look over at her for a moment. The way her voice cracked just a little bit, the way her cheeks took on a bright shade of rosy red, one hand clasped against the cheek on her opposite side… Momoko loved this moment. The romance of the conversation at hand was so intense, it was like nothing else in the world really mattered. Tsuruno was right here, and they were in love, and that’s all she needed.</p><p>“Yeah, I just, well, you know I love you, and… and stuff, so... “<br/>“And I love you, too!” Tsuruno said loudly. “We’re here now.”<br/>“Huh?”</p><p>Momoko hadn’t been paying attention to where they were going or how far along in their walk they were, but sure enough- just like Tsuruno had said- they arrived at Banbanzai.</p><p>Right in the middle of a lunch rush.</p><p>Unfortunately for Momoko, the romance of their previous moment was over. Taken away by the smell of grease and the sounds of a family chatter, leaving only chaos in its place. But Tsuruno was used to chaos, as she pulled Momoko towards the door in the corner that led up into her room.</p><p>“You go up, okay? I’ll make sure dad’s alright.” Tsuruno said, nodding.<br/>“Okay.” Momoko said, opening the door and closing it behind her after a moment.</p><p>Would it be fair if she asked Tsuruno to abandon her father if she was actually needed here in order to get to the concert on time? It didn’t start until six, and it probably wasn’t even pushing one yet. Theoretically, Momoko could do something like work at the entryway while Tsuruno waited tables until the crowd died down. She’d have time to get the both of them there and settled into their seats before the show started, even with that. But the selfish side of her definitely wanted to go on ahead.</p><p>As she stepped inside Tsuruno’s room, Momoko took a moment to check for cleanliness like she had opted out of that morning…</p><p>Not too bad. A few pieces of clothing on the floor. Her game stuff was picked up neatly, though the trash cane was overflowing again and her desk was a messy array of textbooks and pens. Overall, Momoko didn’t think it that bad. Better than usual. She could be happy at that.</p><p>Momoko then went over to her bed and sat down on it, school bag in her lap. Unzipping it, she pulled out the change of clothes she had brought for the afternoon’s fun. First, the shirt came out, having been placed in last. Momoko took a moment to hold it out in front of her and smile at it.</p><p>A picture of SayuSayu winking at the camera, a rather large katana in both her hands. Dressed in her usual idol garb of a pale yellow, flowery outfit, she looked so, so happy to be on the shirt. The solid white fabric of the garment itself helped highlight the girl depicted on it, and most importantly, Momoko thought it was cute. Tossing it to the side, she pulled out a blue skirt to go along with it before standing up, peeling off her school shirt, placing it on the bed gently.</p><p>Just as she was reaching for her replacement shirt, the door opened, slamming against the wall as Tsuruno made her entrance.<br/>“Dad says we’re okay! Akira’s coming as soon as she can!” Tsuruno said before she realized what was going on. “Oh, hey you…”</p><p>Instantly, Tsuruno and Momoko both blushed. While the news her girlfriend had delivered was indeed good, Momoko didn’t think it particularly relevant. Even though it wasn’t anything Tsuruno hadn’t seen before, Momoko was still embarrassed to be standing there in just a bra.</p><p>“Sorry. Hang on, I’ll get dressed real quick.” Momoko said, turning around and pulling the shirt up over her head, cursing her bad luck as it came down over her torso.<br/>“Don’t be, it’s okay. I think all of you is beautiful.” Tsuruno said, giving her a kiss on the cheek before stripping out of not only her own shirt, but also skirt as well.</p><p>Changing like this wasn’t a new experience for Momoko, but she still wasn’t over the nerves of a new relationship in that regard. There wasn’t an expectation to comment on Tsuruno’s physical appearance every time something like this happened, was there? Of course Momoko thought her to be beautiful and wouldn’t mind saying it every time, but part of her still wasn’t over just how comfortable Tsuruno was around Momoko like that. Much moreso than Momoko was comfortable around Tsuruno in that regard.</p><p>“What should I wear?” Tsuruno asked, turned towards her closet while Momoko quickly slid her skirt up her body, letting the elastic hug against her waist. Once she was done, Momoko walked over and put her chin on Tsuruno’s shoulder.<br/>“Well, something comfortable. It’s gonna be at least an hour or two we’ll be there. Something loose, light. With that many people there it’ll be hot. And if you get into it you’ll be dancing a bit.” Momoko explained.<br/>“Sounds like you’ve been to one of these shindigs before?” Tsuruno asked, already reaching towards a few potential options. Momoko briefly wondered what Tsuruno would pull out, but as she watched her open the drawer to grab a few things, that curiosity was sated.</p><p>With Momoko’s help, Tsuruno was able to pick out a nice outfit. While a pair of blue jeans wasn’t Momoko’s first choice for something like this, Tsuruno assured her that she’d be more than comfortable wearing them! They didn’t give her the widest range of motion, but since they’d only really need to be walking and maybe running, complicated flips they did while transformed were pretty much out of the question. The shirt she chose was something whacky, but uniquely Tsuruno. An orange shirt with a tyedye circular pattern in the middle of it, the sleeves painted in various stripes almost as if it were a rainbow.</p><p>“That’s cute.” Momoko commented as Tsuruno pulled it out of the drawer.<br/>“You’ll think it’s even cuter when I’m wearing it. Orange is my color!”<br/>“You betcha.” Momoko said.</p><p>Watching Tsuruno change was definitely fun, if a bit nerve-wracking. Being that close to Tsuruno while less-than-fully-dressed wasn’t anything new to her, but she appreciated her girlfriend’s body quite a bit. When she had changed, Momoko smiled and clapped a couple of times as Tsuruno spun around as athletically as ever wearing the heavy denim pants. Impressive.</p><p>“You do look good in that.” Momoko said just before Tsuruno leaned in to kiss her.<br/>“I thought you’d think that!”<br/>“I think you look good wearing anything.”<br/>“Anything?” Tsuruno asked, raising an eyebrow.<br/>“Anything.” Momoko repeated. Tsuruno smirked, but didn’t say anything as she looked around for her school bag.</p><p>“What?” Momoko asked defensively. When Tsuruno only snickered back at her, she raised an eyebrow. “Tsuruno what are you planning?”<br/>“Nooooooooothing~” She called.<br/>“That only makes me think you’re planning something more.”<br/>“You’ll have to wait and see!” Tsuruno said. She took her wallet out of her school bag and put it into a little clutch purse. Momoko had opted for something a bit bigger, but by no means huge. She wanted a place to store all their goodies, anyway.</p><p>For there would be goodies.</p><p>“Alright, ready?” Momoko asked.<br/>“We’ve dilly-dallied around here long enough, right?” Tsuruno asked, opening. The door to her bedroom.<br/>“Right. So let’s go!”<br/>“Let’s ride!” Tsuruno yelled.</p><p>Though they wouldn’t be riding anything but the joys of the evening, Momoko agreed with her, giggling and cheering a bit, one arm raised up into a fist, showcasing her excitement as she took Tsuruno’s hand with her other, walking out the door.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, I didn't think this would take a week to post, sorry about that! Hopefully the wait was worth it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Banbanzai’s front door opened, letting the sun’s rays blaze down upon a very excited Momoko. One hand held up, she tried her best to block it, squeezing her fingers together as a makeshift branch under which she could find shade. Even in the heat, even with the threat of sweat dripping down her head and the back of her neck before the show even started, Momoko was comforted by the familiar presence of a certain someone. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One look to her left, and Momoko could see that someone standing there. Tsuruno’s hair being down, combed straight, wasn’t a very common sight to see. The girl’s brown locks fell down her back, ending a little more than halfway to her hips. Her bangs were just barely short enough to not cover her eyes. And that smile, oh, that smile, Momoko’s heart still skipped a beat every time she saw it. It was like an angel had descended from the heavens to earth to take on the role of a teenage girl- one that Momoko still found herself growing even further in love with each passing day. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Momoko squeezed Tsuruno’s hand- for it had almost always been held in hers while they were walking along. Tsuruno squeezed back a moment later, which prompted Momoko to return the sudden tightness of her fingers again. With that clenching of her hands, she giggled, feeling her own smile twisting her cheeks up into a happy expression.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Tsuruno asked, grinning wide still.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s finally happening, babe! It’s here!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Still can’t believe it, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope!” Momoko shook her head at that, laughing even louder as she quickened her pace. Legs seeming to obey her subconscious will to get to the venue faster as she felt the soles of her shoes crash into the pavement with every step. “Come on!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t the first time that they had taken to running that day. It was hardly the first time that Momoko had been excited enough to break out into a run with a laugh flying past her lips in tune with her pace. But she knew right now that this was the happiest she had ever been. With Tsuruno’s hand still nestled in hers- that warmth, the closeness, the minuscule amount of sweat that had formed naturally on their bodes. It sent her blood pumping even quicker throughout her body as she ran. Squeezing Tsuruno’s hand tightly, Momoko focused her efforts on the back and forth motion of her thighs. They wouldn’t start getting sore from just that, Momoko hoped. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She still had a long night’s worth of screaming at the top of her lungs, after all.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How far are we now?” Tsuruno asked, laughing a little bit as the question hit Momoko’s ears. They had been running through the Kamihama streets towards Mizuna Ward for the last few minutes- and Momoko’s body showing not even the slightest hint of weariness as they kept going.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Just a few more blocks!” Momoko shouted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t even have to look at her phone for that one. After hours and hours of staring at an electronic map, Momoko had memorized the route. She knew every turn, every twist, how long it would take to get from one change in direction to the next. Looking to her right, she kept an eye out for a building number.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li><span> They needed to turn left at the 4500 block. Still plenty of time.</span></li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Four more blocks, babe!” Momoko shouted, still not having to pull Tsuruno along just yet. “Then we turn left!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Momoko kept running- and Tsuruno along with her. Still laughing, still in love, Momoko didn’t think anything could stop her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Except a red light.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When the yellow light shifted to red, Momoko skidded to a halt, probably burning off some of the rubber on the soles of her shoes as she did so, but she managed to avoid running into oncoming traffic all the same. A sigh of relief as she let her body rest, the aching starting to catch up with her, primarily in her thighs. Her breath was heavy, sweat already beginning to form on her brow. All this was worth it, though. Even if their seats were reserved, even if they were still getting there with plenty of time. It seemed the only thing that could contain Momoko’s excitement were a fair smattering of cars driving in front of them, blocking the walkway- and their path onward.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry about that. You okay?” Momoko asked after taking a moment to pant for breath. The excitement she felt after leaving the ship wasn’t that high, she thought. But it was high enough to leave her lungs begging for more energy with each passing second.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m great!” Tsuruno said. Momoko could hear her panting as well, hand having been let go to rest on Momoko’s shoulder. Despite the momentary lack of contact with her girlfriend, Momoko knew this felt just right. One finger at a time fell onto the fabric of her shirt, five fingers squeezing at her in perfect harmony.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay. Let’s walk the rest of the way.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“For real this time?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Momoko looked over at Tsuruno, taking one last pant before watching her girlfriend stand up straighter, having been bent over, her other hand on one of her knees for support. That free hand flashed Momoko a thumbs up, immediately dispelling any tightness that had been gathering in her chest since those words came out of Tsuruno’s mouth.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Right. Momoko felt her cheeks redden as she looked down, covering her mouth with the fingers of her left hand. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You were joking, weren’t you?” Momoko asked, feeling her stomach flip over one more time before settling back in its usual spot.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep yep! I love you and stuff, I wouldn’t be thaaat mean!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too, Tsuruno. Come on. The light just turned blue.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Momoko nodded her head upwards, watching Tsuruno follow her gaze for a moment before looking back down. Once more, the crosswalk was free of cars. The roaring of engines was off in the distance rather than right in front of her, on the road that she wanted to walk across more than she had ever wanted to before. SayuSayu was waiting. A red light wasn’t going to slow her down.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So Momoko took a few quick steps into the street, turning around, her shoe scraping against the concrete, legs moving in the opposite direction as she used her momentum to keep her moving. Now walking backwards, Momoko held her hands behind her back, smiling at Tsuruno, who was still standing at the edge of the sidewalk.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, silly! We don’t have all day!” Momoko said. Even if they kind of had a couple of hours before the show started, even if she didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>need </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be so happy, so elated about even walking backwards over a crosswalk…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She was with Tsuruno. Even without the SayuSayu concert in their very near future, Momoko still would have taken this day with an intense amount of joy. Of course, she knew that the concert itself was why her heart had been soaring ever since last night, but now, with Tsuruno next to her along for the ride, it became that much more… special? Unforgettable? Whatever it was, Momoko knew she liked it. She knew that quick beating in her chest wasn’t fake. She knew that the tingling in her fingers when Tsuruno grabbed her hand again was real, pure joy.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Glad you finally caught up.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Someone has to make sure you stay safe.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Momoko smiled even wider at that. Those words sent another wave of butterflies through her stomach. When Momoko looked at Tsuruno, she saw someone she wanted to protect at all costs. She saw someone who needed all the love Momoko could give her and then some. The giddiness Momoko felt when Tsuruno repaid that kindness and love- even if just a little- made her heart skip a beat.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s my job.” Momoko said.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I wanna protect you, too.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m still the one with the giant sword, babe.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So? You’re still my girlfriend.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh… Wow…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even after all this time, Tsuruno’s cute little words of affection still managed to make her heart flutter, sent blood rushing to her cheeks, make her look down at the ground, watching her sneakered feet alternate, sending herself forward. The heat of the sun had nothing on what Tsuruno was able to make her feel. Hand sweaty now, slippery in Tsuruno’s hand, Momoko was finding that grasp all the more difficult to pull away from. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even as they arrived at the convention hall.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re here!” Momoko shouted, throwing both hands up into the air, almost jumping for joy. The jittery excitedness that was surging through Momoko’s body would have let her- if it didn’t mean having to let go of Tsuruno’s hand to do it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The location of the concert wasn’t the largest stadium in the world. Kamihama only really had one convention hall big enough to support someone of SayuSayu’s popularity. Three thousand seats, all of them selling out within a few minutes of going on sale. A square, short building three stories tall or so, even if there was only one level for people to actually walk on. The rest was used as a vaulted ceiling. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>People already flitted around the entrance, standing in the large leadup area to each of the many doorways that would lead into the massive room where the stage was. Chatter all around the two of them now as civilization started to coalesce before their very eyes. Booths selling anything and everything. Momoko saw shirts, glowsticks, beaded necklaces, even replica katana. She sighed happily, her free hand on her cheek. This was really happening.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s get a few things first, okay?” Momoko said, having to raise her voice to be heard over the excited conversation.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay!” Tsuruno’s voice was just as cheery as ever. Momoko looked over at her beautiful friend. That smile never ceased to amaze her with how mindlessly positive it was. Even when Tsuruno herself was feeling down, that smile always seemed to bring her back up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Pushing through the crowd wasn’t something Momoko was unfamiliar with. In a way, the bodies pressing around her, the additional heat they were giving off, the voices intermingling in the air flooding her mind with unrelated and uninteresting drabble almost reminded her of school. The hallways were usually like this, lunchtime was like this until she could pull Tsuruno to the roof or off to a bench somewhere.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Several moments of pushing through the crowd later, and Momoko found the first of the few booths she was looking for. Wearable merchandise. But there was a line to wait on. Dammit. Momoko’s momentum halted as she found that she was unable to push past that last line of defense separating her from buying Tsuruno a gift- a little memory from the event. Tapping her foot, looking down at her phone for the time, watching as a boy their age pulled out his wallet and then some cash. He walked away with a plastic bag in one hand, leaving his spot behind!</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“There!” Momoko said, pointing over at the spot. Still pulling Tsuruno along, Momoko felt a strain on her shoulder as she heard Tsuruno gasp loudly, following along. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oops, sorry babe… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Momoko thought, knowing now that Tsuruno hadn’t expected to move so suddenly. “Alright, here it is! Take a look around, okay? If you see something you want, let me know!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Momoko said, pulling Tsuruno in front of her, placing her lithe form in the spot that boy had been in up until a moment ago. No matter how hard Momoko tried to slide in next to her, there just wasn’t enough room. There was barely enough room amidst all the shuffling and talking to fit her. So Momoko improvised. Hands placed on Tsuruno’s sides, feeling the softness of her midsection as her hands moved forward, clasping in front of her girlfriend’s stomach. Pushing her chest closer against Tsuruno’s back, Momoko put her chin on her shoulder, giving her cheek a kiss.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At least here, nobody would care that they were dating. They could just be girlfriends and nobody would care. Just because of that, Momoko almost felt like she was at home… but home wasn’t this loud, even with her brothers running around making whatever ruckus they liked to make. Her mother wasn’t singing loudly in the kitchen, and her father didn’t have a baseball game on in the living room. Instead, there was the roar of an entirely different crod. One that- when Momoko was embracing Tsuruno like she was- she found easy to ignore. Especially when Tsuruno’s hands moved to the top of her own, that extra warmth reaffirming her earlier conviction to hug her. Tsuruno melted into the embrace, and all was right with the world.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was only after Tsuruno relaxed into their hug that Momoko took a look at the booth itself. A row of tables stood before them, tablecloth going down to their feet- no doubt hiding stacks of boxes underneath them. A tall fence was set up behind the three workers as they walked back and forth as quickly as they needed, fetching various products for customers on the wrong end of the table. On both the tables in front of them and the fence standing tall and proud, a myriad of goodies were on display. Shirts. Many shirts. This booth was really mostly shirts, but that’s what Momoko had in mind. Folded up neatly, arranged by design and then size in front of them, stacks going upwards of a foot high each- and quickly disappearing as they were being sold. The fence was less cluttered, though it had been inundated with t-shirts almost as much as the counter before them. Most of the shirts featured Sayuki’s face on them in some capacity, though there were many simply with sword designs, album covers, or even one with just the tour dates and locations on the front. A small, local tour though it was, that one jumped out at Momoko as one that would be a memory atop a memory.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“See anything yet?” Momoko asked, still scanning just in case there was another item of clothing that stood out to her more.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not really sure. Is it weird to have a t-shirt with one of your friends’ faces on it?” Tsuruno asked. That question caught Momoko off-guard. Her eyebrows raised as she looked up at Tsuruno’s face from her perch on the girl’s shoulder. The question had been asked totally naturally, and her expression showed no particular excitement or nervousness about it. Momoko thought it might have been an honest question.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even so, her stomach churned all the same, gritting her teeth, trying not to roll her eyes. It was… Momoko didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be jealous of Tsuruno. She was allowed to have friends! Momoko would </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>want Tsuruno to feel alone. She shouled be able to make friend with whoever she wanted. But it was SayuSayu… did that make it different? Momoko shook her head, ridding herself of the miserable thought, trying not to let the phrase bother her any more than it already had.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe. What about one of those, then? With the katanas?” Momoko asked, moving one hand away from Tsuruno’s stomach to point up towards the corner closest them. It was trembling a bit. Dammit. Momoko tightened her fingers into a fist as tightly as she could, pointing far up enough that hopefully Tsuruno didn’t see the visible sign of jealousy- or whatever Momoko was feeling.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, maybe that one. Hang on, I’ll get my wallet, gimme just a sec.” Tsuruno said, looking down as she dug both hands into her pockets. Momoko’s hand dropped from the sky quickly to grab hold of Tsuruno’s wrist. Her skin felt just as soft as ever, and looking down past her chest like that towards her jean pockets almost had her distracted from the original goal of doing all this. She was still beautiful. Even clothed, her chest </span>
  <em>
    <span>still </span>
  </em>
  <span>found a way to take her breath away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, it’s fine. Let me pay.” Momoko said, breathing, finding her chest tightening again. Jealousy mostly forgotten, having been overwritten with a nervousness about Tsuruno’s body. They had never, like… </span>
  <em>
    <span>done </span>
  </em>
  <span>anything like that before. Not really, anyway. Momoko wasn’t even sure if that </span>
  <em>
    <span>counted. </span>
  </em>
  <span>But with distraction after distraction, Momoko still was as excited as could be. The trembling in her hands was still present, though not just because of the jealous flare she just had.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You sure?” Tsuruno’s arms relaxed, settling in in her pockets like they would normally, no longer making an attempt at rising back out of it, billfold in hand. Perfect. Momoko leaned up a bit to kiss Tsuruno’s cheek. Her skin was warm, though Momoko knew that even if they hadn’t just been running and were now surrounded by a noisy crowd, her cheek would feel just as warm and inviting as it did now.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. You got us the tickets, remember?” Momoko asked, fighting off the extra sting in her chest that came from that same jealous thought once more.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So that one?” Momoko pointed up again at the same shirt she had suggested a moment ago, finger blocking the afternoon sun’s rays in a stroke of convenience.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that one.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Great. I think I know what I want, too.” Momoko said. “Excuse me!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A loud shout later, and one of the women working the booth looked towards her and nodded. If they weren’t next, Momoko and Tsuruno would have a chance to check out and be on their way soon enough. It didn’t take the woman long to walk over, though Momoko was made at bit uncomfortable by the way the woman looked at the two of them. Momoko hadn’t dislodged herself from Tsuruno’s form just yet, instead moving her purse in front of her body, fishing out her own wallet to hand the woman the card. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This was supposed to be a happy day! Momoko’s face scrunched up more than a little bit at how the attendant looked at the two of them. Grimacing harshly, Momoko looked up at Tsuruno’s face again, who seemed perfectly okay with the way things were going.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That didn’t bother you?” Momoko asked, whispering loudly, wanting to speak both in private and still loud enough to have her words heard in spite of the crowd.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Not really. I love you, Momo. No weird lady giving us weird looks is gonna change that.” Tsuruno said, leaning her head to the side a bit. Momoko felt the initial contact of Tsuruno’s temple against her own. That warmth, the little bit of sweat that had formed on each of their brows, the gentle, steady beating of Tsuruno’s heart as felt in the touch let Momoko relax a little, a smile forming once more on her body.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Happy thoughts, Momo, happy thoughts! </span>
  </em>
  <span>She told herself, squeezing her eyes shut painfully tight. It took a moment for her vision to recorrect itself, everything in front of her having gotten blurry in her attempt to cheer up. But scowling woman handing her a plastic bag and her credit card didn’t affect her nearly as much as it had a moment ago. She was still upset by her disapproval, but Momoko knew that Tsuruno was right- she could shake it off. And she would- not only for Tsuruno’s sake but for her own as well. And for SayuSayu’s. Momoko didn’t want to cause trouble for her, even through just that little exchange.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, ready?” Momoko asked, holding Tsuruno’s hand once more as she led her away from that booth, eyes already scanning the crowd as quickly as she could, looking up at the other walls of fences looking for various accessories.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“For what?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We need to buy glow sticks now.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Need?” Momoko heard Tsuruno ask from behind her, her breath and the vibration of her voice tickling the back of her neck despite the hair that was guarding her skin there. Momoko nodded just as vigorously as Tsuruno often did, smiling back at her girlfriend widely in an attempt to convey her still-growing excitement.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, need. It’s not as fun without them!” Momoko said.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Then we need ‘em! Yep yep!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Great! Let’s go then!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Buying glow sticks had been an equally daunting task- but it was one Momoko knew she was up for. Heart beating fast, blood flushing her cheeks in a permanent blush, lips curling up wider even as Momoko pushed through the crowd towards booth after booth, looking for anywhere that would sell the multicolored plastic sticks of fun.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Three failures later, and Momoko found someone selling them! It was at the booth closest to the entry to the stadium. Fitting enough, but Momoko wasn’t about to waste time thinking about concert setup logistics when SayuSayu’s appearance on stage was set for- one look at her phone told her- an hour and a half from now. No way was she gonna let all the bad stuff- no matter how miniscule it had been thus far- get in her way. Teeth grit, a smile on her face, a heart beating fast, Momoko pressed on fueled by sheer adrenaline.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The line for this stand wasn’t nearly as long, leaving Momoko and Tsuruno available to browse not only the glow sticks Momoko had her heart set on, but also a variety of other goodies, as well.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, there’s so much cool stuff!” Momoko said. Her eyes went wide, looking down at the table before them with a loud giggle, holding Tsuruno’s hand even tighter as she looked around, pointing at various things. “Look, here’s that chibi keychain I talked about, and oh, that’s a magnet? Oh, Tsuruno that’s soooo cute! And what about these?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Momoko started grabbing things in a frenzy, just about as fast as she recognized something and decided she wanted it, it was in her hands- which was quickly becoming an arm cradling everything. She even conscripted Tsuruno to help her hold everything- though there was the implication that Momoko was fully planning on giving her a decent portion of it as well.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Phew…” Momoko wiped her brow a few minutes later. Her shopping spree complete, Momoko pulled her girlfriend onto the ground, leaning against the wall next to the entryway to the stadium as she opened her bag, almost dumping it onto the ground with trembling hands excited to take a second look at her haul. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She pulled out two matching keychains of a pair of bright yellow katanas crossed, placing one in Tsuruno’s lap. The same was done for a sticker that matched Momoko’s shirt- with the concert dates, and a CD with the track list in the order it was to be played at tonight’s show- Momoko herself having gotten her own copy as well.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Momo, thanks a lot!” Tsuruno said. They had let go of one another’s hands as they sat down, Momoko needing both to rummage through her goodies- though Momoko did make sure to sit close to her girlfriend. Close enough that their knees were pressing together as they both sat cross legged on the ground. Breathing heavily from the excitement, Momoko looked over at her, one hand on the other girl’s thigh, squeezing it playfully. “Hey there~”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey yourself.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Someone’s brave.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Courage is kind of my middle name, babe.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right. Anyway, the glow sticks?” Tsuruno asked, tilting her head to the side a bit. Momoko’s jaw dropped as she looked at the trove of memorabilia that she had given to Tsuruno. Sure enough, the glow sticks weren’t there. She heard the bag crinkle as her hands dove back in, pushing stuff around to look frantically for-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aha!</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Phew, I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure </span>
  </em>
  <span>I bought some. It would have been terrible if I forgot them.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Terrible?” Tsuruno asked. Without looking, Momoko knew just how amused she was by her antics. An idea formed in Momoko’s mind, and she puffed out her cheeks a bit, straining the insides of her mouth a bit- but the joke was worth it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It would be terrible. I love you and I don’t want you to miss a very important part of the show.” It was hard to talk with that much air in her mouth, and letting most of it go was pretty much a given. The soreness from doing that for just a moment filled the insides of her cheeks as she talked. Tsuruno’s expression made it worth it, though.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her lips flattened into a line, her eyes a deadpan auburn, no emotion at all in her face. If she stared any more, Momoko could swear she could see little lines of sound effects escaping her eyes. The thought made Momoko giggle.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Trust me, it would have been terrible.” Momoko said, her voice squeaking a bit as she pulled her legs up close to her body, hugging them, hands on her ankles- which quickly moved up to hold out two of those clear plastic rods Momoko had been so fixated on. “Here…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tsuruno looked down at them, the color and excitement returning to her face as the playful mood seemed to be over. Hands reached out, taking the two things from Momoko, both her sets of fingers brushing against Momoko’s for more than a few seconds as they stared into one another’s eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She’s so beautiful… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Momoko thought, lips parting just a little, staring at those flush cheeks, that happy smile. She found herself leaning closer. And closer, Tsuruno’s form getting larger in her eyes. Her heart started beating faster, pulse throbbing against her temples, hands, and chest as well as her cheeks, that usual blush not the only part of her that was still ready for this moment.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Momoko broke the tension by leaning just a little closer, erasing the distance between their lips as she closed her eyes, kissing Tsuruno gently. She held it there, humming into the kiss. Those lips were warm, soft, unmoving as Momoko declared her love to Tsuruno in that physical way that they were both so fond of. A moment later, Momoko pulled away, the warmth instantly leaving her lips as she opened her eyes again, feeling them flutter against her will.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Still amazing…” Momoko whispered. Tsuruno nodded her head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, ready?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep yep! Let’s go!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With an excited tone returning to Tsuruno’s voice after the kiss, Momoko gathered up their things once more, held out her hand to Tsuruno, and opened the door, one step closer to seeing SayuSayu up close and personal- the last major step she’d have to take. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Whoa…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The moment Momoko pulled open that tinted glass door and the rushing cool air blasted her entire body, she felt that excitement welling up within her even more. The room’s invisible fans sent both her hair and clothing rippling out behind her. A sharp, almost painful catch in her throat made her want to scream at the top of her lungs. Her trembling hands made her want to hug Tsuruno tighter, kiss her cheek, her lips, the backs of her hands while kneeling in front of her. Momoko knew she couldn’t stay in one place for long. Not when her body was pulling Tsuruno ahead, eyes glued on their new surroundings as Momoko counted down the rows of plastic lawn chairs set up until they’d arrive at their seats.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t the largest room in the world, but to Momoko, it might as well be the entirety of planet Earth. The room was dark, the roof vaulted high above them, a second floor tha served as a second layer of seating for if the ground floor wasn’t enough. Momoko felt her feet clop down hard against the floor, hollow echoes shooting up at her with each heavy step forward.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, babe, we’re almost there!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She doesn’t go on for another hour!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah but- but we can hang out until then, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko heard a giggle from behind her. Still pulling Tsuruno along at arms length, feeling the tug on her shoulder that signaled she was struggling to keep up. Momoko felt relieved that even after this long, Tsuruno was still going along with it. Her worries from before washed away as she looked up at the stage.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It stood on a raised platform at the far wall, sunken in, expanding the room just by its presence. Lights shown down from above, as though a mass of white powder had been cast into the air, illuminating those specks as they swirled around, never to hit the ground. They instead stayed airborne for as long as Momoko looked, but she didn’t for long. Not when the speakers were what that light was shining on. Big, black boxes they were, huge rings of metal and fabric that would be bringing them the most glorious sounds in the world here in an hour or so. A drum kit, a keyboard, and a guitar all stood similarly in the back of the stage. The front and center attraction- everybody knew- would be taking up the rest of that room. There was not enough room on that simple stage to let SayuSayu run around, Momoko thought, but it would have to do.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Footsteps echoed a little more loudly around her as she pulled Tsuruno up to the front row of seats. Momoko sat down, feeling the cool plastic against her back and the seat sink down a little as though the plastic mesh waiting for her had experienced a hundred other bodies before hers, an expert at human comfort. From here, the view forwards and upwards took her breath away. Her heart was pounding away in her ears, her entire body felt the almost violent beat of her veins, her eyes watering up from sheer happiness. The stage was empty, but there wasn’t even as much as a guard railing preventing her from just… standing up…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And taking two steps forward- her footfalls crashing around her ears, the only sound that she could hear anymore as she let the palm of her hand touch the stage. The rest of the world faded. The noisy crowd hanging out in the back of the concert hall seemed to either stop talking or vanish all at once. Her right palm chilled, fingers no longer trembling as their warmth seeped into the floor. Wood. And cold. Smooth, almost slick. Perfect for dancing on, but hopefully not so slippery that she’d fall over. Momoko swallowed, shaking her head a bit, a smile forming on her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SayuSayu was a Magical Girl, the same as her. Even if she did trip, she could do some kind of acrobatics and save herself while singing cheerily and smiling all the while, as though it were planned from the start.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SayuSayu was a Magical Girl. And Momoko would get to talk to her today! Soon!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“YEEEESSS!” Momoko yelled at the top of her lungs, clenching her hand into a fist, banging hard once on the stage floor with it. The edge of her hand stung as she held it skyward, though the pain and the cold air around her only made her feel more alive, more energized now than even a moment ago. The blood hadn’t stopped pumping, her fingers were tingling with excitement, her entire body aching for a presence that wasn’t there yet…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And all she could do was look back at Tsuruno, flashing her the biggest, toothiest smirk she could manage. Momoko faintly heard Tsuruno giggle, though the pounding in her head to the stinging of her hands, the chills running up her spine as she walked back over to her chair, hands shaking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Momoko sat down, she could barely hear those two words spoken to her by the most beautiful girl in the world. Her hand still clenched into a fist, the other gripping her knee tightly, feeling a tingling in her toes now. Her entire body felt weak as she looked around, eyes out of focus with reality, the dark blur around her not really looking like anything at all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Momo?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Earth to Momoko!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Moooooomoooookoooooo?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Snap!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko jolted up, looking around wildly in a daze. People. There were lots of people now. Lots of noise now. People sitting around her on either side, talking, standing up, moving around, one passed in front of her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tsuruno. Where was-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh. Still next to her. Standing up as well, holding onto one arm tightly with two hands. Momoko’s pulse pounded against her fingers, begging for better blood flow. Momoko’s eyes took a moment more to get into focus as her bewildered grimace turned into a smile, feeling that warm sensation in her chest grow again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hey. You’re cute, do I know you?” Momoko asked, smiling a little.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe. Wanna come back to my place tonight? It’s been so…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tsuruno spoke with a coy smile and a breathy tone, her head inching even closer to Momoko’s neck. Momoko could feel her girlfriend’s breath on her skin. Warm. Oh so warm, sending shivers up her spine. Even if the venue had gotten warmer in the past few seconds when all those people magically appeared, Tsuruno’s breath still felt hotter than all the body heat around them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko’s breath stopped as Tsuruno’s lips descended upon the skin of her neck. Warm and wet, soft and inviting. It took everything in Momoko’s power not to let out a gasp or a moan. It was all she could do to simply let her eyes flutter closed, lulling her head back a little bit, mouth open in a silent scream.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cold…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another kiss, this one on her jawline. Just as warm, just as delicious. Somehow more inviting. Momoko clenched both fists tight as Tsuruno wrapped her hands even closer around Momoko’s arm, pulling it in between her chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And lonely…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This kiss went onto her cheek, right at the corner of her lips. Momoko had kissed Tsuruno enough times to know what that meant. And Momoko was more than happy to comply.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She turned her neck, every bone cracking, every muscle creaking as she slowly rotated her head, trying not to smile wide, begging her muscles to stay lax enough. Too much excitement and she’d actually smile. Too big a twist of her lips and the kiss would be ruined.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tsuruno’s face approached, her turn for eyelids to flutter shut. Momoko let her mouth hang open, still resisting the urge to smile with all her might. It was a strain. It hurt, her mouth begging to show any kind of happiness. Momoko couldn’t let it. The real happiness was right around the corner. Those warm, succulent lips approaching hers like a slow but steady heat-seeking missile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they hit their mark, Momoko’s eyes closed, no longer resisting the urge to gasp in pleasure. Tsuruno’s lips tasted just as incredible as they always did, and now, when they were so close to the one event that Momoko had been looking forward to for weeks… Momoko found herself wanting nothing more than to pull her to the ground and kiss until the lights faded and the roars of the crowd started.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But they didn’t have long to wait. Within a moment of that first long kiss, the lights suddenly went dark, a low clicking sound following in its wake.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko broke the kiss, looking up to the stage in an instant, jumping up and down a few times, both fists in the air. Her heart welled up in excitement, her lips still cold and moist from Tsuruno’s lips. Her body on fire and muscles straining from weeks of anticipation and lost nights of sleep. All for this moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tsuruno! Glow sticks!” Momoko yelled out of necessity, the roar of the hyped up crowd drowning out any potential words spoken at a normal distance. Whatever Tsuruno had been hinting at was already forgotten. Momoko was sure she was getting somewhere with that, but now, when the show was set to begin any minute now, there was no time to waste on asking about semantics.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She ducked down, pulling the bag out from under her chair, handing two to Momoko first, but when Momoko reached out for the other two pale gray sticks, she didn’t resist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko held one in her mouth, two more under her arm, the fourth held out in front of her. Knuckles whitened from the pressure, she bent down with both as hard as she could. Were it made of a lesser material- such as a twig or a popsicle stick- it would have snapped in half. This bit of plastic and glue snapped, but instead of broke, nearly bent.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And as though it were magic, when Momoko relaxed her hands, it was aglow- a simple blue light that shone against the darkness. She watched Tsuruno’s face go from confused to ecstatic in that blue light, holding it out for her to take.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The same was repeated for the second one- a yellow one matching SayuSayu’s outfit- also given to Tsuruno. Momoko repeated the process, ears once more ringing again- though for the return of the crowd’s screams to her notice- as she cracked her own two light sticks, waving them above her head already.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her orange and yellow mixed with Tsuruno’s two as she brought them down, drumming the top of Tsuruno’s head a few times. Tsuruno flinched, but at the simple contact only winked at Momoko.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Having fun, Momo?” Tsuruno asked. Momoko’s heart welled up with joy at that, jumping up and down in a giddy excitement all her own now, hands clutched in front of her chest as she nodded, hair flying all around her, probably annoying whoever was next to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So much fun!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good! I love you! Enjoy, okay Momo?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will babe, I love you too! Thank you!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then, to pull Momoko’s attention away from Tsuruno entirely and towards that smooth wooden stage again- another voice cried out. Artificial sounding as though it were coming directly from a robot’s mouth, drowning out every other sound in the large room. The speakers boomed, their vibrations reverberating throughout Momoko’s body, making her teeth chatter together a bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good evening everybody! I’m so glad you could make it today! I’ve been so so looking forward to seeing each and every one of your faces tonight!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The curtain raised, and Momoko felt shivers run up her spine, a reactionary scream already on her lips, waving her shiny-laden hands in the air.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SayuSayu stood there in all her glory holding a microphone, a smile on her lips and a wave to the crowd.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then the music started.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Alright, come on!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The music faded, SayuSayu’s smiling, cheerful, friendly face slowly slinked backwards, and the roar of the crowd became silent. It was almost as though everybody else were just as awestruck as Momoko just was. An eternity of singing at the top of her lungs, music blaring around her, bass beating into her very soul, heart pounding along with it. The roar of the crowd synchronizing with her own voice which was starting to grow sore. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Momoko stood there for a moment, unmoving. After watching the curtains drop and the lights come on, she could barely move. Her muscles locked up, eyes staring up at the stage, neck craned painfully by now to do so. Even though she felt some kind of pressure on her forearm, someone pulling at it, Momoko just… couldn’t move.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Earth to Momo? Hey? You there?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Her view changed, though not because of any bodily movements she made. Momoko’s head was still stuck in the position it had been. Her heart still beating at a mile a minute, her mouth twisted up painfully into a smile, hands clenched tight on the glow sticks she had endeavored so hard to get, knuckles white. A face came into view. Momoko knew that face. The most charming, beautiful, happiest face in the whole world. The only face she wanted to see right now other than SayuSayu’s.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Helloooooooo?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Even though her ears were still ringing, that high-pitched noise in her head in the aftermath of the booming amazingness she had just heard, she could hear Tsuruno’s words clear as day.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” Momoko said, letting her smile be directed at something other than SayuSayu’s incredible performance just now.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey yourself. Sayuki just texted me, she’s ready for us! Come on!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She texted you?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. She said whenever we’re ready. Don’t you wanna finally meet her?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>If Momoko had been kicked out of the building, left out in the midsummer evening heat, made to walk home alone, she would have been content- happy, even. What she had just witnessed… the booming music, the incredible dance moves of an incredible Idol, all of it right there in front of her? It was still hard to believe that it had happened.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But it was over now. Swallowing hard, Momoko struggled to accept that fact for a moment, shaking her head, still feeling the aftermath of Sayuki’s smooth tones, the deep boom of the base, the high-pitched wails of that guitar.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Not to mention the slashing sound effects. How could she forget those?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And the little explanation SayuSayu went into about the history of a new Wakazashi she bought recently.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And the shoutout! SayuSayu called out to Momoko and Tsuruno. She called them her friends! She called Momoko her friend!</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Friend!</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s waiting?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Momoko asked the question again, eyes twinkling with a new wave of excitement- perhaps still riding high off the first one in preparation.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah silly, come on, Momo, let’s go!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Momoko called out, nodding her head roughly.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The force she did it at almost hurt. Her tongue clung to the roof of her mouth, her temples pounded. Her feet tingled, a solid orange heat from the bottom of her feet up to the top of her head, entire body pounding with the most pleasant kind of pain Momoko had ever felt. It hurt. It stung. It ached. Yet Momoko didn’t mind it, welcomed it… treasured it, in a way. A pain that she’d rarely get to feel again. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Momoko let Tsuruno lead her out of the concert hall, but not through the entrance they had come in. There wasn’t the hot blast of air and the evening Kamihama sun waiting for them on the other side of these doors- though they were the same tinted glass as their previous entryway. One the other side of these doors was a mass of people moving around. Coming, going, shuffling both people and equipment around, as though there was already a mad dash to leave.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The only one not in a hurry to leave was Momoko. She had an idol to meet.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me?” Tsuruno asked, who had taken to leading them forward as Momoko stood around dazed and excited. Momoko didn’t know who she was asking, but it seemed to work. Instead, Momoko looked ahead, trying to look through that production ahead of her for a break- for a cute girl in yellow clothing- SayuSayu, wherever she may be. “Me and my girlfriend here have backstage passes. Where’s Sayuki’s room?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me see? Hmm… okay… down this hall to the left. Second door.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, miss!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Momoko felt another tug on her arm as her thoughts wandered, her head threatening to split itself open with its painful pounding, as though her blood itself hated the idea of being here any longer than need be. Momoko persisted, though, gritting her teeth and fighting through the pain, focusing now that she heard the directions. SayuSayu was near, and Momoko had long since resolved to etch every moment of this encounter into her permanent memory.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Watching as Tsuruno pushed through the crowd, Momoko did her best to help out. With one free arm, Momoko made as much space for her body as possible. Amidst the crowd- though not as loud as the previous one Momoko had been in- was just as chaotic. Every sound fighting for dominance, trying to make itself heard more than any other. Lights were carried between two people, backup dancers and singers, people in cotton uniforms and plastic vests, a security guard and a police officer. All kinds of people were present. All of them ignored, all of them irrelevant. While the noise was annoying and the pounding in her head hurt, the important thing here was to get to Sayuki’s room.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>To the left, finally. And straight. Past the first door, the white fram against the peach-colored wall inching closer and closer as Momoko and Tsuruno bobbed and weaved through the crowd which had dispersed quite a bit from the last hallway they were in.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tsuruno breathed a sigh of relief, knocking on the promised door as Momoko tensed up, holding the opposite reaction to her girlfriend as she stood by her side by side. Tsuruno looked to her, a quick kiss on her cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nervous?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Very.” Momoko said looking at Tsuruno. She turned back to the door, looking at the simple wooden slats that it was made up of. There was no way to see through, but it almost shined enough to see her reflection.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Momoko let go of Tsuruno’s hand, bringing both of hers up to feel at the top of her head, then the back of it. Hair? Hopefully not too frazzled, but there was no time to check. Running her fingers through it was going to have to be enough. If there were loose ends sticking up from her excitement at the concert earlier, she’d never forgive herself.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be, she’s cool. I promise.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Come in!” A voice from behind the door said. Sweet, light-pitched but not overly so, and familiar. SayuSayu was on the other side of that door, waiting to see her.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Momoko blushed heavily, breath stopping in her chest, lungs refusing to cooperate as they felt just as nervous as the rest of her. Palms long since sweaty, the hand held in Tsuruno’s clamped down on the other’s digits. Tsuruno squeezed back with her hand, Momoko felt. Her warmth did help, having her close made her a tad more comfortable, but nothing could have prepared her for when Tsuruno opened that door, pulling her in.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She needed to be pulled in. When Tsuruno moved forward at the entrance to this room she had made- Momoko stood stock still, paralyzed in fear now more than ever before. It was happening. SayuSayu was right there and Momoko wasn’t brave enough to move a muscle. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Bravery. Courage. Right!</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A quick flash of orange light later, and Momoko stepped through the door of her own volition, now feeling braver, if not perfectly prepared for this fabled meeting.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And there she was… </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sayuki! Hey!” Tsuruno called out, waving at her like she would an old friend. Had they hung out more than just that once? Momoko knew Tsuruno to be friendly, but she couldn’t help but look on with curiosity at the greeting.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Tsuruno! Glad you could make it! This is Momoko?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Here she was. SayuSayu was sitting there in a swivel chair, one leg hiked up over the other, hands on her knees. She was </span>
  <em>
    <span>beautiful.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Orange diamond sash over her chest, crossed-sword pin in her hair, white blouse, orange skirt, and a smile on her face that was as welcoming as Momoko saw on her mother after a long day at school.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep yep! This is her. Momoko, Sayuki, Sayuki, Momoko!” Tsuruno said, though the words were drowned out by the relentless beating of her heart, the trembling of her bottom lip. Her hands were shaking and sweaty, her knees weak, ready to buckle at any second.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And then the bubble burst, and Momoko jumped up and down fists clenched, hair flying every which way, grinning as wide as she was physically able to.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ohmygoshohmygoshyou’reSayuSayuEEEEEEEEEEPPP!” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Momoko’s yell seemed to calm her entire body down. Her magical shot of courage hadn’t done anything to quell her excitement as her vision bounced up and down along with the rest of her body. She watched Sayuki smile and laugh, waving at her from her char before standing up.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s an energetic one, isn’t she?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m actually the energetic one in the relationship.” Tsuruno told Sayuki. Momoko felt one of her girlfriend’s hands on her shoulders, pushing down hard. Momoko took the sudden pressure as a cue to stop bouncing. Her feet landed flat on the floor and they stayed there. It did help with actually being able to see Sayuki properly.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As she stood up, Momoko looked her up and down. Still dressed in her concert outfit- the same one she always wore, walking over to her as gracefully as Momoko had ever seen anyone walk. It was gorgeous… And she was holding out a hand to Momoko? She took it into both of her own, gripping it as hard as she could, shaking it vigorously, staring down at her outstretched hand. It was warm, and soft, as though that hand had never done a day of work in its life.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She was from Mizuna. That would make sense.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Normally she is, yea, but I’ve been so excited to meet </span>
  <em>
    <span>the </span>
  </em>
  <span>SayuSayu that I just couldn’t help myself. I’m sorry. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Momoko Togame, spelled with the characters for ‘Ten’ and ‘Blame!’ First year high school student! I’m so excited to meet you! I’ve always wanted to!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I see why you like her, Tsuruno!” Sayuki said, looking over to Tsuruno.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, she’s cute, isn’t she?” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She is!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Momoko hadn’t seen Tsuruno’s physical reaction to SayuSayu’s words. She just saw her idol- her Idol- look over to her girlfriend to ask the question with a smile. When she looked back, Momoko froze for a moment in shock, dropping her hands, putting them at her sides, rubbing them on her shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I didn’t mean to- you know- hold it for that long.” Momoko said.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay! So how did you enjoy the show?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it was great! So great! The track list was amazing, and your dancing was great, too! How long do you practice for, usually?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Momoko spoke as quickly as she could, wanting to make sure that every second with SayuSayu counted for something. SayuSayu herself kept on smiling at her, to which Momoko clenched her fists, holding both under her chin grinning like a schoolgirl on her New Years’ Day looking at a wad of cash from her parents. But this sight was worth more than all the New Years’ money she had ever received.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a day, really.” Sayuki said, smiling a little more nervously now. She looked over to Tsuruno, and that smile grew even wider. Momoko raised an eyebrow at that. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>must </span>
  </em>
  <span>be good friends, then.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A day? That’s it?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sometimes it’s more, when I actually practice.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean you </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>practice sometimes? In all the videos I’ve seen of you you never mess up! You’re amazing out there, you mean you do all those perfect dance moves on your first try?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, not exactly my </span>
  <em>
    <span>first </span>
  </em>
  <span>try.” Sayuki said. Momoko grinned even wider now, resisting the urge to dance around in excitement. SayuSayu was about to give the room insight into her practice routine, and Momoko was the superfan around to hear it! “I have what’s called my ‘Forbidden Memorization Technique.’”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Whaaat?” Tsuruno asked, yelling loudly. It was enough to break Momoko’s focused gaze on SayuSayu. She looked to her right to see Tsuruno leaned backwards, both arms extended out in front of her, elbows bent as though to use her forearms as a physical shield to protect herself from whatever words were coming out.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Momoko asked, giggling at her. Tsuruno was cute, but… dammit, Momoko wanted to hear about this Secret Technique SayuSayu had!</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But it’s forbidden!” Tsuruno said back, and Momoko looked once more to SayuSayu with wonder, already anticipating her words.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I really only break it out in emergencies. It’s still a technique I’m working on. But I’ll tell you if you promise not to share, okay Momoko?” SayuSayu asked.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Momoko was ready, nodding her head and smiling wide, feeling her blood start to pump again.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright! I promise, SayuSayu! Your secret’s gonna be safe with me!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Great! So I just take what I need to learn for the next day…” Momoko heard a gap in SayuSayu’s words, her head already spinning with the possibilities. SayuSayu looked up, a finger on her chin, and Momoko leaned in slowly, holding her breath in anticipation. “And I stay up all night memorizing it! I’ve done it for tests mostly, but it also works for dance moves!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Tsuruno called out loudly again, and once more Momoko looked to her. Still that same defensive posture, still a bewildered look in her eyes. Still cute, but Momoko kind of had to agree with her here.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>What?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“SayuSayu, do you really stay up all night? Have you not gotten any sleep at all?” Momoko asked. Her stomach churned no longer with excitement, but with a protective urge that wanted nothing more than to make sure that the girl in front of her- that SayuSayu- was well rested and cared for. Her heart couldn’t take much more of this. It had been pounding so fast for so long, and now with the new blush sending more blood into her cheeks, Momoko cared even less for her own well-being and more for SayuSayu’s.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But SayuSayu seemed to just wave it off with a hand in front of her face.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine, though, really! I feel great! I just use a Grief Seed in the morning and I’m cool as a cucumber!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A Grief See- oh right! Tsuruno said you two met in a Labyrinth!” Momoko said, slamming one fist onto her other open palm, nodding in tune with the realization.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sayuki nodded and looked towards Tsuruno. When Momoko did the same, she saw that her girlfriend had dropped her scared, defensive stance and was now standing normally with her hands at her sides. Even though she was standing in SayuSayu’s presence alone in a room, it was hard to not look at her for a moment. So cute, standing there in that adorable outfit. Momoko’s fingers twinged with a certain desire. In following it, she reached forward, waggling her fingers, ticking Tsuruno’s warm palm with it. A moment later, and Momoko felt Tsuruno’s figners wrap around her hand, squeezing down hard on it once. The pressure felt warm and welcoming.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Awwe, you guys are so adorable!” Momoko heard a voice say.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>SayuSayu! The voice she had heard more than any other voice save for a select few. Tsuruno’s, her family’s… Yachiyo’s… but that must have been it. Momoko knew that voice better than she knew was healthy for her. Not being able to pick it out of a crowd would have been a travesty for her, much less noticing it when she was in a room practically alone with her.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Momoko’s head snapped back her way, smiling again, giggling as she squeezed Tsuruno’s hand back, tucking hair behind her ear with her free hand, which had almost stopped trembling. It was in the way of looking at some of the best surroundings of her life.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks!” Tsuruno said loudly. Momoko could hear her bouncing up and down on her toes again. Cute, just like always. But SayuSayu was here, and while she wasn’t ‘girlfriend’ levels of cute, she was still incredibly adorable in her own right.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So yeah, uhh, well… geez now that I’m here I dunno what there is to talk about. Should have thought about that a little…” Momoko’s voice lowered in her second sentence as the dread of completely dropping the ball, her chest seizing up. But she wasn’t going to let it dishearten her. Empty fist clenched, and a flash of orange light, and Momoko looked up.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no, that’s just fine! You didn’t have to come prepared with talking points or anything. I just wanted to hang out with you for a minute. The way Tsuruno talked about you, it was just so cute. She definitely loves you, you know.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I know…” Momoko looked over at Tsuruno after SayuSayu addressed her. Tsuruno was looking back, that cute smile everpresent on her face, eyes closed. Momoko was never really one for excessive amounts of public affection, but occasionally she’d indulge herself. So when she dove in to press her lips against Tsuruno’s soft, pursed ones, Momoko didn’t feel a hint of shame. Perhaps a bit of embarrassment at kissing her girlfriend right in front of her Idol. Though even the feeling of the kiss was nothing spectacular- dry, thin lips pressed against Momoko’s slightly more moist ones, yet the kiss was still rushed. A split second later, and Momoko pulled back to see Tsuruno’s surprised expression. “And I love her, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A squeal filled Momoko’s ears suddenly as she pulled away from the kiss to declare her love. They had shared those words before, plenty of times before. Momoko always knew it to be true, even when Momoko was more than a little starstruck. Seeing Sayuki wave her fists in front of her, giggling a little at the display made warmth flush up to Momoko’s cheeks, feeling trembling already returning to her hand. It would take several more doses of magical courage to get through this, Momoko knew. But another layer of orange appearing around her empty left hand, soothing it as she smiled back at SayuSayu made it easier to think clearly.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is everything alright?” She asked. Sayuki nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. Everything’s just great. It’s really nice how you guys get along well. I’ve never had a boyfriend or anything before, so I can only guess how happy you two are.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ever had a girlfriend?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Tsuruno!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no- Momoko, it’s okay! She can ask.” Sayuki said, waving her hands in front of her. Momoko felt the words leave her throat perhaps a little harsher than she had intended, a slight soreness that lasted but a few seconds, sticking in her mind as well as in her gullet.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry.” Momoko whispered, squeezing Tsuruno’s hand as repayment. When Tsuruno looked back at her, she giggled and nodded, feeling her own hand get squeezed. That pressure was very reassuring.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think I’m interested in girls that way. Not that what you two have isn’t very special, it’s just that it’s not for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And that’s like- totally okay!” Momoko said, nodding, feeling her stomach churn over her slip-up, the need to make up for it to SayuSayu as well as Tsuruno rising in her like an ache that just wouldn’t go away. “I didn’t think I was into girls either. I made my wish because of a boy. And then that didn’t work out. And then stuff happened… and then suddenly me and Tsuruno became best friends, and then I asked her out… putting it lightly.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As she spoke, Momoko thought back to that boy, all the feelings she had for him. Every time she saw him, her insides would flip around like an Olympic gymnast, her entire body would heat up an extra degree, and her mouth would flip flop every which way but in the precise methods needed to make words. In the end, she never got the chance to tell him how she felt. Her voice lowered a little, even more bad memories lining up as her mind wandered to Mel. They had been such good friends. Momoko looked over her like she was a little sister… only to watch… </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>happen to her. It broke her heart then just as it broke her voice now, feeling it crack in her throat- a high-pitched sound or two before it normalized into the somber tone it had taken on.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Something like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Well, it seems you two are very happy together, if that’s any consolation.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It is. I love her, even when she’s being a punk.” Momoko lightly pushed Tsuruno’s shoulder with her own, watching as the girl almost lost her balance entirely at it, but came back with a smirk and a slightly harder shove, giggling as Momoko was knocked away a step or two, only to be pulled back in with the held hands between them. Tsuruno caught her, a hand on her shoulder, looking at her, leaning in closely.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m the punk?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You must be because I’m not.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a dork.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Tsuruno, you’re a bigger dork!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Says the one who brought me to play video games on our first date!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I did no- okay, yeah… I may have done that. But you liked it!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys are perfect for each other.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Both Momoko and Tsuruno turned their heads away from the other, looking at their almost-forgotten cohort. Momoko nodded and shot her a smirk, hugging Tsuruno even tighter for a moment. Feeling the other girl’s body pressed up against her own with </span>
  <em>
    <span>SayuSayu </span>
  </em>
  <span>present was a shot of confidence right to her blood stream that Momoko needed. Maybe that would be the end of giving herself confidence boosts.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“She helps me out a lot with stuff. She’s… really good to me. Yep yep!” Tsuruno nodded her head after she pulled away from Momoko, though the hand was still held in hers. It was almost lonely, having been separated from like that, but the hand in hers still gave Momoko some bit of warmth from her girlfriend’s body, even if it was minimal. It still felt like her, though. That was what mattered.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I try to be there for her, just like she tries to be there for me. Normal relationship stuff, ya know?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure! Almost like- well, not quite I guess. Is it wrong of me to compare that replica Honjo Masamune I have to a real relationship?” Sayuki asked. As much as Momoko wanted to squint at her for it, she shook her head, finding a laugh growing in her stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I dunno, I’d like to hear it, though!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay great!” Sayuki said, her voice getting a lot more energetic as she sprung into true action for the first time since Momoko had seen her dancing around on stage. It was as though her entire persona had truly come alive just now. Her face went from laid-back and friendly to fired up. Her posture was leaned forward ever so slightly, hands clenched into fists in front of her, shaking them a bit as she opened her mouth. Momoko froze in place, not knowing how to react when SayuSayu was </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>excited. She decided to lay still, breath coming in deep swaths, not wanting to hear herself so much as breathe when SayuSayu was talking about something she was clearly passionate about. “So I have a friend who works part time at an Art Museum, and she told me that the Director of the museum knew somebody who makes replica swords. So I talked to him and he gave me the man’s phone number. When I called him and told him what I wanted, he said normally it would be a month or two depending on his backif it was for me he could rush order it! And so I got it in a week, and Tsuruno, Momoko, it looks </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>like the real Honjo Masamune!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko listened and watched as the words flew out of Sayuki’s mouth. The way she leaned forward a little closer had Momoko wanting to lean back in, wanting to get caught up in the vigorous way she moved her fists as she spoke, in the volume of her voice, in the smile she had plastered on her face the more she talked. There was no lack of footage showing SayuSayu getting distracted talking about her hobby while on stage, but seeing it in person, seeing it when nobody else was watching? Momoko felt a smile creep onto her face, a warmth bloom in her chest. She was witnessing a raw, pure moment, something she vowed in that moment to never forget any time soon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As SayuSayu’s explanation finished, Momoko only let silence hang in the air for a moment, not even long enough to let her ears ring with it, keeping the perceived energy going. Her own fists clenched, shaking them up and down in front of her own chest, Momoko stepped closer to the Idol. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh that’s so cool! Have you ever brought it anywhere? Do you keep it hung up on your wall? Or what about a dresser, do you have it just sitting there?” Momoko felt her own jaw move at a mile a minute as she asked question after question, all of them spilling out without even thinking about it. Momoko’s blood was pumping at a mile a minute, throwing color into her cheeks, the pressure in her hands restricted its flow enough for her to feel it coursing through her digits. Her forehead and scalp tingling from being able to ask the questions. She didn’t know why. It was about swords. Why should she care?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… well, I have it hanging up on my wall in my bedroom! At first my mom wasn’t sure if she wanted me to have it, so I really had to convince her.” Sayuki said. Momoko watched her smile, chuckling a couple of times, looking away and at the ground, slowly sinking back into her chair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh that’s cool! What did you have to do to get her to let you keep it?” Momoko asked, her energy still as present as ever, stomping her feet a few times, letting what small amount of energy out that she could.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was… umm, so like…” Sayuki said slowly. Momoko watched as her eyes shifted from the ground to Momoko’s for a second. For that split second they held eye contact, Momoko squealed in excitement again. Then she looked away, off in the other direction as she continued. “Well, I kinda had to pass all my classes last year.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko tilted her head a little bit as she pondered SayuSayu’s words. Was she failing because of her idol work? Was she not good at school to begin with? Did she do her ‘Forbidden Memorization Technique’ too many times and miss too many days of school because of it?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t have forever to ponder it, though. A clap on her shoulder, feeling warmth and pressure there, something curling around it. Momoko froze, looking away from SayuSayu long enough to see the source of the sudden contact: Tsuruno. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey you.” Tsuruno said without the usual playful energy she had. Momoko stood up a little straighter, leaning away from SayuSayu to turn and look at her girlfriend. She was still smiling. That was good. But something about the way she looked seemed… off… and Momoko had no idea why. Her eyes didn’t have that same joyful sparkle, nor did her mouth have its usual smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey yourself, what’s up?” Momoko asked. Even with current company, she didn’t want to miss anything if Tsuruno started to feel down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you, umm…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Umm?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko’s question came after a moment of Tsuruno’s eyes darting to the left and right, corner of her mouth twitching. She didn’t know what was going on with her girlfriend, what she was thinking. Was there something wrong all of a sudden? Did she need the bathroom and not want to say anything? No, Tsuruno wouldn’t be in the least bit scared to announce she needed a trip to the ladies’ room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So like, there’s this thing…” She said, tone lower, words drawn out a bit. Momoko’s fists clenched again, though not out of excitement. Her pulse quickened, though not from being in the presence of the one and only SayuSayu. Her chest tightened, her stomach sinking for a moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What thing?” Momoko asked, taking a moment to tear her eyes away from Tsuruno’s adorable, concerned face to look at SayuSayu. She had her phone out, tapping away on it as she looked down. She was seated and Momoko standing, so she coudln’t get a good look at the Idol’s face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Who was she texting, anyway? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Momoko thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know! The thing!” Tsuruno said into the one ear facing her now. Momoko straightened out her neck to look away from SayuSayu towards Tsuruno. She was smiling a little now! Just seeing that little spark of happiness was enough to make a few of her muscles contract, twisting her own mouth up far enough that they matched. Momoko giggled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have a lot of things, Tsuruno. Which one?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The thing where I tell you I love you and that you’re really cute!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last thing Momoko had expected was another kiss- but that’s just what she got. Momoko gasped as she felt Tsuruno’s lips on hers, accidentally taking the unique opportunity to suck in a sharp breath directly from Tsuruno’s mouth. It was as though a wind tunnel had just been created, a sharp, if hollow sound that provided anything but the life-giving oxygen her body needed. The tickling in her throat signaling the urge to cough arose in the back of her mouth, leaving her lungs screaming for breath as the kiss went on. But as much as she might have needed air, Tsuruno’s warm, soft lips and two hands on Momoko’s cheeks was an acceptable alternative.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Love you too, babe, but… why?” Momoko asked once the kiss broke and she took a moment to suck a few deep breaths in. She wasn’t Banting, but her chest thanked her as she restored her normal oxygen supply.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No reason!” Tsuruno said, closing her eyes and tilting her head. Momoko saw her body bounce up and down a few times- without looking she knew Tsuruno was hopping on her toes again. Cute.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Tsuruno? Momoko? Sorry to interrupt, but… I gotta go!” Sayuki said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko’s eyes widened as her stomach burned with a fire that she hadn’t felt since… since she was about to step in here. Her lips went dry instantly, that familiar blush on her cheeks returning. Chest burning, eyes threatening to water, Momoko felt a sudden stinging pain in her heart, exacerbating the burning sensation already there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She has to go? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why? Where to?” Momoko asked quickly, holding out a hand to her. SayuSayu’s eyes shifted over to Tsuruno before standing up. A smile flashed on her face for a moment. It wasn’t the happy, cheerful smile she gave when she was in front of a crowd cheering her name. Rather, this smile was smaller, shorter, without any of the grandstanding. Almost pitiful, given what Momoko was used to seeing of her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My manager just texted me. He wants to talk about something. He said it’s important and I don’t really know what.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, okay… umm… d-do you think it’s okay if we hang out again later?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got your number! I’ll text you and we can go Witch hunting some time!” Tsuruno said. Momoko looked to her, feeling some small amount of warmth fight against the coldness growing in her chest, nodding.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Text me. I should be okay sometime next week, or the week after.” Sayuki said, sidestepping her way around Momoko, who watched her go, craning her neck as far as it would go one way, and. Then whipping her head around as fast as she could to the other. Hair whipped around, though she didn’t feel as much hit her back as she had been used to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh- pff! Momoko!” Tsuruno said, spitting and coughing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Momoko didn’t look, instead she watched as SayuSayu turned her back to her, waving without turning around. The door opened, and a tall, muscular man in a solid black vest waved her out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SayuSayu walked out of the room, and the door closed quickly, leaving Tsuruno and Momoko alone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tsuruno…” Momoko whispered, staring intently at the door her Idol had just left through.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was?” Tsuruno asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was </span>
  <em>
    <span>awesome! Thank you so much!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome, Momo! So…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Remember what I said earlier?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“About?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t remember? Before the concert? Right when they were about to start?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tsuruno’s voice went from a low, playful one back to her normal tone, sounding as though she were confused by something.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You said something?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! Let’s go back to my place, I have one more surprise for you!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You do? After what you gave me today I don’t think-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope! No arguments allowed! Sleepover tonight! I promise you’ll like it! Yep yep!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. If you say so!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko giggled, closing her eyes, feeling the noise reverberate inside her chest. Even though Momoko had just met </span>
  <em>
    <span>the </span>
  </em>
  <span>SayuSayu, she still found it easy to be amused and pulled in by Tsuruno’s antics.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do! Let’s go!”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Momoko woke up the next morning to the same sound of the television that had been left on the night before. Droning on in another over the top commercial that seemed to be so popular, Momoko groaned. The light was streaming in from the window, a rarity when she woke up. Usually her alarm would go off before the sun rose in order to get ready for school on time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>School!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko’s eyes shot open, the faint smile she wore gone, looking around Tsuruno’s messy room frantically. Her head was pounding from the sudden upward motion, making her dizzy as she all but rolled off the bed, head still spinning even as she felt the ground solidify under her feet. Stumbling around, Momoko steadied both her flailing body and her vision, feeling the rest of the room continue to spin around her as she gained her bearings.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>First, the sun was up. That was why she was panicking. Tsuruno was so, so proud of her perfect attendance record and Momoko didn’t want her to ruin it, even if the reason she did was absolutely worth it. Second, she was naked. Feeling the air conditioner blow cool air onto her bare skin was refreshing after being cuddled up to Tsuruno’s equally nude form underneath that thick comforter. As great as the feeling of being that close to the love of her life was, Momoko realized she was sweating.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Phone! There it was! Left on the ground next to her leftover plate of dumplings. The meal she had eaten before… well, right before Tsuruno started to really heat up the room. It was a heat Momoko was thankful for, and was truly happy it had happened. But now wasn’t the time to reminisce on such things. Now that that deed had been done and the two of them were closer for it, Momoko was taking it on herself to try and protect Tsuruno’s perfect attendance record- and how proud she was of it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She grabbed the phone from off the ground, squatting with her knees pressed together. The plastic case the device was wrapped in felt cool to her touch, as though it had been sitting directly under the cooler all night. Flipping the screen so that it faced upwards, Momoko looked at the time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bad news. The clock front and center on her touch screen showed almost 9AM.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Good news, it also showed that it was Sunday. No school.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instantly, Momoko felt her chest relax, the tightness that had grown from worry vanished into thin air, leaving elation in its wake. Momoko breathed a sigh of relief before standing back up, looking over at the bed, a smile on her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tsuruno was still sleeping. Laying on her side, one arm outstretched over nothing- the nothing that lay where Momoko had up until a moment ago. She was breathing deeply, a small grin in her mouth even as she slept. Momoko clenched one fist, bringing it up to press against her chest. She was just so… so… so dang cute when she was sleeping. Momoko was almost always the first one to wake up after their little sleepovers. Every time, she did enjoy staring into Tsuruno’s adorable, resting face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Today was no different as she walked back over to the bed and climbed into her former spot. The blankets still held that cocoon of heat Momoko’s body was reintroduced to after she had jumped out of it earlier to check the time. They were alone and cuddling again, Momoko having picked up Tsuruno’s arm and crawled under it, replacing one of her own hands on the girl’s back, pulling her in gently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tsuruno smacked her lips once, though her eyes stayed closed. A grunt later and she had stopped moving again. Momoko had tensed up, waiting with both fear and excitement for the moment she opened her eyes to the waking world. But it never came.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It didn’t have to come. Momoko would have been perfectly happy to lay here all morning next to her beautiful, sleeping girlfriend. This way, it still felt like they were spending time together. After last night, there was no way Momoko wanted to even be in a different room as her. No way. Not when…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not when everything about yesterday was one the the happiest experiences of her life- and since that all was Tsuruno’s doing… Momoko had to thank her somehow. But how? Another date? Spending time with her was just the start.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love you…” Momoko whispered, leaning in to plant a kiss on Tsuruno’s still-grinning lips. It was as dry as it was quick- Momoko only put the smallest amount of pressure on Tsuruno’s skin. Just enough to feel them, the touch only lasting a second. When she pulled away, she felt a warmth grow in her stomach independent of the heat of her little fortress. It spread throughout her body quickly. Momoko knew this feeling well. It came to her in the best moments, when she felt on top of the world, when nothing could get in the way of her and what she wanted most in that moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was happiness. Laying here like this, laying there naked, sweating, with only a sleeping face to stare at, Momoko was happy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t know just how long she had been laying there, but despite having nothing to do but listen to Tsuruno’s breath and watch her peaceful, sleeping face, Momoko had done it happily. In between two breaths, Tsuruno groaned, shifting in bed. Her arms pulled Momoko closer in, her legs bent at both the hip and the knee. Momoko felt constrained, but pulled Tsuruno in as well. One hand on the back of her head forced her face into Momoko’s chest, as though the soft flesh there would help Tsuruno wake up faster.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“H-hey you. Morning,” Tsuruno said. Though Momoko couldn’t see her facial expression, she assumed it was a happy one, judging by the joyous tone Momoko was met with.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good morning.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t expecting a face full of boob when I woke up, but thanks?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“N-no problem?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Had fun last night?” Tsuruno asked, leaning up a little to kiss Momoko’s lips, one hand reaching up to grab at the back of her neck, pulling Momoko further into the kiss. Despite the pressure at her hairline, Momoko was greeted with a mildly passionate, slow kiss. Lips locked, happy sighs, one smack, and then Tsuruno parted to look into Momoko’s eyes again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yesterday was the best day of my life, Tsuruno.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was? I mean… yeah, obviously it was. Momoko… I think it was for me, too. I love you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko felt Tsuruno’s arms around the back of her neck now as she tightened their hug again. Momoko hugged back this time, a kiss to Tsuruno’s neck as she leaned in, feeling their skin press together hard, peeling away with a sticky sound as they once more locked eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, Tsuruno. Cause of you I got to see SayuSayu on stage! And then after that… Tsuruno…” Momoko said, smirking at her girlfriend, tightening their hug a bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? What about last night, huh?” Tsuruno asked back, raising one eyebrow, a smirk just as large as Momoko’s appearing on her lips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You were way better than I thought you would have been. You’ve never… you know… done that before, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then how did you know where to… you know…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lucky guess. And lots of alone time. Doing that sort of thing by myself usually cheers me up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that so?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, what about it?” Tsuruno asked, tilting her head back up, lining her lips up with Momoko’s, though neither went in for a kiss.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So it would make you happy if I did that sort of thing with you occasionally?” After last night, Momoko felt almost natural saying that. As she felt the words leave her lips, it surprised her just how easily it flowed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright. I won’t say no.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko nodded silently and leaned in for another kiss, this one slightly more intense than the kiss before it. It was a Sunday morning. No class, no obligation to get out of bed. Just Momoko alone with Tsuruno- alone with the woman of her dreams… and her lips tasted like heaven. Momoko closed her eyes, letting white dots flash around in the darkness she cloaked herself in, letting the feelings of her body guide the way. Hands on Tsuruno’s cheeks caressed them as she pulled her head in as the other’s arms were wrapped around her neck, performing a similar duty. Already, her lungs were screaming for air, begging her to stop, but Momoko would not. Not when Tsuruno still wanted to express their love. She sighed into the kiss, biting down on Tsuruno’s lip once. For it, she received a moan back as Tsuruno pushed hard on her body.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The kiss broke, and before she knew it, Momoko was laying on her back, her own hair splayed out underneath her on the bed, Tsuruno once again hovering over her, though the cocoon of hair that had blocked out the outside world last night was instead streaming down her shoulder. And she was smirking. Dang, that was really cute.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey you.” Tsuruno said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey yourself. Wanna get some breakfast?” Momoko asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tsuruno shrugged her shoulders before diving down, her head lowering before any of the rest of her body. Momoko felt a bit of hair whip across her cheek as she was kissed, chuckling at the touch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe. Got plans today?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hang out here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright!” Tsuruno said. One more kiss and one more whip of hair later on Momoko’s face and Tsuruno was already throwing the thick, hot covers off of them, hopping off the bed. Momoko sat up as she watched Tsuruno turn around.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And she was humming. Momoko knew that Tsuruno was a generally cheerful person when she wanted to be and could be. But humming? That was a rarity. Legs dangling off the edge of the bed swung for a moment before the balls of her feet connected with the bedframe. Tsuruno held her hands behind her back, walking around the room slowly, stopping in front of the dinner tray on the ground, where Momoko had just grabbed her phone from.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In that moment, Momoko decided to sit for a moment. Tsuruno was being cute, and she wanted to capture that. So she pulled her feet back up, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, hands in her lap, leaning forward with a smile on her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko watched, feeling her heart beat quicken for the millionth time since getting back here last night as Tsuruno squatted down, reaching forward to grab the shirt Momoko had on last night. Her bra was right on top of it, though that had been quickly swatted away. Tsuruno held the garment in both hands, holding it gingerly before standing back up with it slowly. When she turned around, Momoko’s entire body tensed up at her next action.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Out of all the things Momoko had expected Tsuruno to do with her shirt, holding it up to her face and breathing in deeply through her nose was not one of them. Momoko heard the breath enter her nostrils, a high-pitched, almost squealing sound as air filled her lungs, Momoko’s scent falling in with it. While on the surface that might explain Tsuruno’s smile, Momoko just… didn’t get it. Her mind was racing, trying to discern an even theoretical possibility as to why she had just done that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, are you… okay?” Momoko asked, only to be shocked more as Tsuruno pulled the thing up and over her head. She put her hands on her stomach, pushing down on her stomach, lowering her hands towards her hips in an attempt of smoothing out some of the wrinkles. She looked up, smiling, and nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. This is great. You don’t mind if I wear this today, do you?” Tsuruno asked, moving to sit down next to Momoko. She lowered her head onto Momoko’s shoulder, who felt a hand slink around her still bare back to rest on her opposite hip. Momoko did the same, putting a hand on Tsuruno’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, but… why did you sniff it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It smells like you…” Tsuruno said dreamily. As full of surprises as Tsuruno was, Momoko froze in place, not sure how to answer that statement. She had been wearing that shirt all day yesterday, so the claim made sense. But was that a reason to want to wear it?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Umm… thanks? I think?” Momoko said, already looking around the room for her bag. She had only brought that one change of clothes for the concert, at least she thought. It would be a miracle if there was another shirt in her bag. There was always her school uniform. It would be weird walking around in her school uniform on an off-day, but for Tsuruno’s adorable sake? She had already resolved to doing it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love you…” Tsuruno said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Love you too, baby.” Momoko said back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When you call me baby. You started that yesterday.” Tsuruno was still speaking as though she were in a dream, that slow drawl, that slightly higher pitch than normal… Momoko felt happy and confident in herself that she was able to make her girlfriend so happy so quickly after she woke up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. It’s nice. Can you keep doing it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“S-sure… I guess we both have nicknames now, don’t we?” Momoko asked, kissing the top of Tsuruno’s head once. She felt the girl’s scalp move under her lips, hair brushing up against her mouth just before she heard an answer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. It’s nice.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So… Tsuruno…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have like, any shirts big enough that I can wear?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, but you wanna look?” Tsuruno asked, that dreamy voice shifting to a more playful one in an instant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s either that or I wear my school uniform today, since you stole my shirt and all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. It’s mine now, sorry not sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay. I love you. It’s yours if you want it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you still have to wear it occasionally!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So that it can keep your scent.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re crazy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Crazy for you.” Tsuruno said, looking up at Momoko.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko pulled Tsuruno in for a kiss, a hand at her thigh. Tsuruno moaned a bit into it as Momoko felt her mouth twist up into a smile, her lips flattening as they did so. She broke the kiss.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Already want more, huh?” Tsuruno asked. Momoko felt her grab her wrist, pulling it towards her stomach, trailing her fingers across the shirt. Tsuruno lowered it to the hem, and the breath of both girls hitched at the sudden contact of skin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not fair.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t have to be. Like you said, we don’t have anything to do today.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well…” Momoko said before pushing hard on Tsuruno’s shoulders, loving the yelp she gave on her way back down to the bed. “We can still have fun, right?”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“So you finally did it, huh?” Mitama asked. Sitting in her Coordination Parlor in between appointments with Momoko wasn’t something she wasn’t used to. Today, though, she had transformed out of her Magical Girl outfit to talk. Momoko had said that the conversation was somewhat serious.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I did. We did. And it felt… oh Mitama… it was just so, so… I can’t think of the words right now to describe how amazing it all was!” Momoko said. She too was dressed in her school uniform. Today unlike most days, she wasn’t hanging out with Tsuruno. She had promised to call later on in return for ditching her. With a smile on her face and a large twinkle in both eyes, she spoke in the dreamiest expression Mitama had ever heard her in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The atmosphere in the room couldn't feel better, Momoko thought. The soft background music Mitama had for her Coordinations was still playing. Piano, violin, birds chirping… it added the perfect backdrop to Momoko’s explanation. The couch cushion felt lighter than air, as though Momoko were sitting on a cloud. One leg crossed over the other, hunched forward in excitement, ignoring the soreness that came with that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what’s it feel like?” Mitama asked. Momoko was looking directly at her, though the only thing she could see was Tsuruno’s sunshining, happy face in her mind’s eye, blocking out the view of her friend in favor of staring at her girlfriend’s gorgeous face. And what a gorgeous face it was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like home…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like home?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. It feels like this is where I belong, like she’s going to be my destiny, or something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well good thing, I would have hated for you guys to finally get frisky and find out the two of you aren’t sexually compatible.” Mitama said in her usual cheery expression. Hands clasped in her lap, smiling wide at Momoko with her hair behind her set up in a pony tail. Momoko’s smile faded a bit, the twinkle in her eye faded as she came down to earth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not everything is about sex, Mitama.” Momoko said, staring at her friend intently. Purses lips on her face, back leaned even further forward, the music drowned out by the ringing in her ears as she awaited Mitama’s next few words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know dear, I know.” She said, waving it off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So then when was the last time you and Kanagi went on a date?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just last week.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A date in which you guys did more than hang out here and fool around?” Momoko asked, raising an eyebrow at her. She felt hot, suddenly, the light fabric of the shirt she wore suffocating her skin. Part of her was afraid of this answer, afraid that Mitama would disappoint her with her answer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A month ago?” Mitama said, and Momoko groaned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Mitama, don’t you love her?” Momoko asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do. What’s this all of a sudden?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s more to love than sex.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know there is. We also kiss!” Mitama said, earning her another groan from Momoko, who had lost all her apparent bliss and was pinching the bridge of her nose, that elbow on one of her knees.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not what I mean. Don’t you wanna like, just cuddle, and talk, and go on cute dates and stuff?” Even as Momoko squeezed her eyes shut, she felt a smile forming back on her face, having to strain a little extra to get the words out, flashes of her few dates with Tsuruno flying through her mind’s eye.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do, Momoko. I’d love to, but Kanagi is so busy, she works a lot, and she won’t let me help her pay her family’s bills.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then can’t you go over to the cafe and spend time with her like that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She won’t let me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why not?” Momoko asked, groaning in frustration. With Tsuruno, things were so easy. They were both going to the same school, lived reasonably close together, and pretty much hung out together all the time. Hell, it was still rare for her to sleep alone, Tsuruno’s warm body having become something of a necessity besides her. Sleeping alone was cold, lonely… it just didn’t feel right anymore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I kiiiiiiind of got banned…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s so like you…” Momoko said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I asked Kanagi for a kiss when I was about to walk out my first time there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well there was your first mistake.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She said no, and then I maaaaaaay have… umm… hehehe…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mitama, what did you do?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing~”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can’t just tell me nothing after that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes I can. And I did. Oh, and would you look at the time, Akira is almost here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Akira?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pretty little thing, short hair, very considerate?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you know her?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know the name.” Momoko said, only after the words left her lips did she realize that she let Mitama shift her attention elsewhere. It was lucky for Mitama, though, Momoko having knowledge of Akira wasn’t likely, and yet because of Tsuruno, she did. Not that she blamed Tsuruno all that much, anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great!” Mitama clapped her hands and stood up. “You might be able to see her for a minute, then.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually, I’m gonna go. I’ve got a hot date tonight.” Momoko said, standing up quickly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The force that her feet propelled her off the couch made her head spin. She had to take a moment to gain her bearing again, one hand on her temple as she did so. A hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing, and then pulling her forward. For a split second, Momoko wished it was Tsuruno. The wish only faded as Momoko realized that’s who she was probably going to visit with after she left here. No big deal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko opened her eyes, and the sky blue lighting of the room once more flooded her field of vision. It really was pretty here, but Momoko had places to be. She gently shook her shoulder, and Mitama’s hand fell away, leaving the place where she grabbed on stinging ever so slightly, but it was a good sting. Like Mitama was there for her. She knew that Mitama cared for her very much, but she had something of an interesting way of showing it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have fun dearie~ Too much fun, preferably~” Were the last words Momoko heard from Mitama.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still lost in her head, Momoko waved Mitama goodbye and pulled out her phone. Tsuruno had been bumped up to number one on her speed dial at some point in recent weeks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Momo! What’s up?” Momoko didn’t even hear so much of a ring before Tsuruno picked up her phone, speaking loudly into it. Almost loudly enough for Momoko to want to hold the device away from her ear a bit, but she had regained her whereabouts enough that it wouldn’t be necessary.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Like usual, her face lightened up as she heard Tsuruno speak.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey you, Mitama kicked me out, she had another appointment, so I’m free for now. Wanna hang out? My place, maybe? Before the movie?” It was customary that they swap sleepover locations every night they spent together. At this rate, Momoko was spending half her time at Banbanzai anyway… she really should just leave a few outfits there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your place sounds great!” Tsuruno’s voice was slightly robotic, but no less eager as the arrangements were made as simply as could be. Hanging out a little bit before their movie date sounded like a little extra slice of heaven to go on top of her dinner of pure nectar.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you in five?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Five minutes? You can get there in time?” Momoko asked, chuckling a little bit at Tsuruno’s claim.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wanna race? If I get to your room first you owe me a soda tomorrow during lunch!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re on!” Momoko said, a smirk on her face as she pulled the phone away from her head. She was going to scream a quick goodbye into it before she hung up, but a soft buzzing was heard, and the call screen faded into her usual lock screen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tsuruno had already hung up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Always so competitive.” Momoko muttered to herself, taking off at a supernatural sprint as she bounded back to her home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>--</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I win!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last thing Momoko had expected to hear when she opened the door was Tsuruno’s exclamation of victory. Momoko’s jaw dropped at about the same time her bag did, though she didn’t hear it hit the ground over the squeaks of Momoko’s mattress springs as Tsuruno sat on her bed cross legged, leaning forward, the goofiest, most beautiful smile on her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How did you…” Momoko asked, but her answer came before she could even think to ask it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You left your window unlocked, pretty lucky, right?” Tsuruno said, motioning over to Momoko’s window. Sure enough, it was pulled up, the wind blowing her curtains forward in a steady rhythm. Tsuruno winked at her before standing up, causing Momoko to walk forward, meeting her with a kiss far more passionate than anything they would ever give to one another in public.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had gone all the way and then some, so Momoko saw no issue in showing her girlfriend just how much she loved her. And she tasted like strawberries, smelled like lavender, felt softer than a silk blanket…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The kiss ended when Tsuruno pulled away, giggling as she put her hands on Momoko’s shoulders, standing in front of her, still.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know what I like, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That chilled coffee, you mean?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep yep!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, I owe you one then, babe. Remind me tomorrow?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko leaned in for one more kiss before she pulled apart from Tsuruno, walking over to her dresser drawers, pulling her shirt off without a care in the world.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh so we’re getting naked now?” Tsuruno asked. As much as Momoko felt like rolling her eyes at Tsuruno’s words, feeling the cool air of her bedroom hit her bare skin, she instead fired back with an equally snarky comment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Feel free to. I’m just getting changed. My school uniform is kinda sweaty now that </span>
  <em>
    <span>somebody </span>
  </em>
  <span>had me run halfway across Sankyo Ward in it!” Momoko looked behind her, smirking as she pulled off her bra, dropping it to the ground in front of her dresser in a similar manner. Fishing for a new bra, she continued. “And you don’t want me all sweaty for our date, do you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe by the end of it?” Tsuruno said from behind her. Momoko could only hear her voice, but she could tell just how much excitement was oozing off of every word. Hearing that alone made Momoko start thinking… certain things…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Things that were best left for later in the night. So before she responded, Momoko grabbed the first bra and first shirt she could get her hands on, hastily strapping them to her body. She could worry about comfort later. For now, she just had to get clothed, lest Tsuruno pounce on her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was hardly comfortable in her chosen clothing by the time she did turn to face Tsuruno. She was still sitting there in her school uniform, cute as could be, as Momoko unzipped her skirt, letting it drop to the ground. One look at the smirk Tsuruno flashed her, a smile that made her chest tighten a little bit and memories flash in front of her face. It was a good smile, a nice sting in her chest, and absolutely lovely memories. But Momoko had made a decision already.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That decision involved clenching her teeth and tearing her view away from Tsuruno to once more open up a drawer, searching quickly for something to cover her legs that would match the shirt she blindly picked out even a little bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Momoko?” Tsuruno called out as Momoko found something. Digging through a box of neatly folded linens to find a plain white skirt that would go down to her knees had her hands missing the cool softness of the rest of the fabric once she pulled it away. She looked over at Tsuruno, who held Momoko’s phone in one hand, stretching it out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I get a text or something?” She asked, slipping one leg into the skirt, the other diving in as well before she pulled it up, clipping and zipping it as fast as she could.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Or something. Your Sayuki fanclub group text got a message.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not a- whatever, what’s it say?” Momoko said, the memories of SayuSayu’s lovely face up close and personal already coming to mind. She sat down on the bed next to Tsuruno as she listened to what it said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Something about an impromptu concert in Daito?” Tsuruno’s tone was confused, but Momoko felt her heart pick up its pace, fingertips already tingling, begging to meet with the cold glass of her phone screen for more details.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? When? Now?” Momoko said, feeling her voice shrill up for how loudly the exclamations were. The thought that maybe she left  Tsuruno’s ears ringing hadn’t really crossed her mind until all three utterances had ran their course.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pulled the phone out of Tsuruno’s hands, opening up the app that held that fateful message. A pale white loading screen with a black circle greeted her eyes for a moment before text messages flying by a mile a minute. Momoko watched, catching glimpses here and there of what was being said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on, Momo?” Tsuruno asked, putting her chin on Momoko’s shoulder, a hand on her other one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“SayuSayu’s actually having an impromptu concert right now! It’s happening! Do you think we can go?” Momoko asked, looking at her quickly, a kiss placed on her forehead- the easiest place to reach from that vantage point.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But… It’s in Daito, isn’t it?” Tsuruno asked. Momoko watched as Tsuruno’s smile disappeared, a gentle frown sported where happiness deserved to be instead. The pain in Momoko’s chest turned into something different. From lust, from love, from something nice and something that both Momoko and Tsuruno could enjoy and indulge in… into worry, into fear. Momoko’s bottom lip trembled a little bit. Tsuruno wasn’t outwardly sad or anything, but that frown meant that she had to have been feeling something like that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah… is that an issue?” Momoko asked. She took deep breaths, her mind already on the other end of the city, wondering what exactly was happening. What kind of show was it? Was it the same set list as the other day? Maybe she was doing something new? The possibilities were endless.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“N-no… no, it’s fine. Do you wanna go?” Tsuruno asked. Momoko’s gut wrenched at that, that feeling of weakness that had started off in excitement spread into her temples, into her toes, a void in her gut that was only growing with guilt. She wanted to go. She wanted to go more than anything else in the world at that moment. From what those comments were saying, it was outdoors, and crowds were only just now starting to form. If they ran as fast as they could, they could get there before she was halfway done, probably.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko nodded, and looked down at her phone. Amidst all the flashing messages that were streaming upwards on her screen in the sea of excitement all throughout Kamihama was a single message not the usual thin black lettering of standard text messages, but a blue one. One that was underlined. Momoko knew it immediately to be a link. She clicked on it, and when her web browser loaded and a video started, her face lit up, that guilty feeling in her gut gone as she watched her screen and heard sound come out of her speaker.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The glare from the window was too harsh to really see most of it, so Momoko stood up, feeling Tsuruno’s body tear away from hers as she sat at her desk chair, facing it towards the window so that she could hold it up, the sunlight streaming hitting the metal back of the device, leaving the screen free of any natural light.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From her chair, she could see the same bright blue sky she could see from out her window, though what she couldn’t see from the isolation of her room was a mass of heads crowding around the phone lens someone was obviously recording from. The resolution was blurry at best, the camera shaking left and right, up and down, shouts were heard all around, but most importantly…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko giggled in glee as she saw SayuSayu dancing on a stage in front of a crowd much the same as when she herself had last seen the Idol.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tsuruno! Come see!” Momoko said, smiling ear to ear as she lowered her phone a little bit to look over at Tsuruno. For a split second, she saw how Tsuruno had been sitting: hunched over, legs pulled up against her chest, arms hugging her shins. But as soon as Momoko had glanced her way, she popped up, moving from that cuddled up position into standing, walking her way even, in an instant. Her face… that smile that Momoko loved so much… it was really gone now. But Momoko ignored that, looking back down at her phone screen, wrapping an arm around Tsuruno’s shoulders as she made her way over to the chair Momoko had moved around. A kiss on Tsuruno’s cheek later and Momoko was squealing in delight. The music wasn’t the highest quality, but Momoko could hear </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Slash!!’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>being played and sung through the lowered audio quality plain as day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, Tsuruno, look!” Momoko said, holding her phone up in front of their faces. There stood Sayuki, sure enough, pleasing yet another crowd. Momoko felt her hand starting to shake, the view of the phone screen becoming less and less stable, sight of everything else already more blurry than the fuzzy phone stream.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s great.” Tsuruno said, her usual bravado back. Her voice was loud, louder than it usually was, which Momoko gladly took as permission. She planted another kiss on hre cheek before sitting down, instantly pulling her feet up to sit cross legged on the chair. Her hand on Tsuruno’s shoulder fell away to help grip her phone with a white hot zeal, leaning forward, the bright screen close enough to her face that the slight of anything else was blocked out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As she watched and sang along softly with the faint sound of SayuSayu’s voice, Momoko felt a drumming of light pressure on the back of her shoulder, as though fingertips were raining down on her from the ceiling in a steady rhythm. One that was distinct from the beat of the song.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even through it, Momoko tried to focus on the song. As it came to its end, though, so did the tapping on her body, and Momoko was able to hear SayuSayu speak, if only for a little bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Everybody!” SayuSayu shouted, waving towards the camera, as though she were speaking just to Momoko. “Thanks for being here today!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Momo?” As the digital crowd roared out into cheers, Momoko heard a familiar voice behind her. When she looked, she saw Tsuruno standing there, that same frown on her face. Momoko knew she should be at least a little concerned, but when she heard the crowd die down and SayuSayu’s voice rang out, distorted by the murmurs around the camera and the artificial sound of the band’s speakers, Momoko felt her heart soar anew.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, what’s up?” Momoko asked back, quickly whipping her head back down after a moment of looking up at her girlfriend’s subdued expression. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How…” She heard Tsuruno start, but the sound of that one word faded away, leaving the start of SayuSayu’s next song friend and center in Momoko’s ears.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a soft drum beat and a slow baseline, a spoken-word introduction about a love lost.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How long is this gonna be?” Tsuruno asked. Momoko tried her hardest to suppress a roll of her eyes, instead staring forward at her phone, focusing on the words SayuSayu was speaking even as she gave her answer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who knows. Could be another few minutes, could be another couple hours.” Momoko spoke in a lazy tone, not paying Tsuruno much mind as she focused even harder, squinting her eyes at the screen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A couple hours?” Tsuruno asked, but even as her voice stayed as loud as it had been before, Momoko stared at her phone as the intense monologue turned into singing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, why?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… it’s nothing.” Tsuruno’s voice lost all its bravado. Behind her, Momoko only heard faint, dejected words. She didn’t have to turn around, Tsuruno walked in front of her, slinking over to Momoko’s bed, dropping onto it heavily, body bouncing up and down as she spread her arms out on either side as she sprawled out on her back. The squeaking of the mattress springs made Momoko look up from her phone, her faint singing reduced to a gentle nod of her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Baby?” Momoko asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Tsuruno asked, Momoko’s gut doing acrobatics inside her body at that word. Momoko recognized that tone almost immediately. Tsuruno was going to cry… but… the SayuSayu concert…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Momoko asked from her chair. Tsuruno looked over at her once, and sighed before slowly rolling over on the bed, her back now facing Momoko’s concerned look. “Hey, Tsuruno?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just forget about it. Have fun.” Tsuruno said, Momoko could barely hear the words coming from her lips. She slowly stood up. It pained her to move her phone any further from her face than it already was… but she could just leave the video playing on the device, even as she put it down on the desk, walking slowly over to the edge of the bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tsuruno…”  Momoko said, trembling hand making its way to rest on Tsuruno’s back. She shrugged it off. “Tsuruno, please, tell me what’s wrong…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A long moment of silence passed, during which nothing could be heard, save for the beat of SayuSayu’s song faintly behind them. Momoko felt her breath shorten and eventually stop, the stinging in her chest reaching a crescendo as Tsuruno spoke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about our date?” She asked, body unmoving.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“W-well, we can go after this is done? Okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Momoko… remember when you said I could talk about stuff if there was something bothering me?” Tsuruno asked. She rolled back over, lying on her back again, no longer curled up as she had been before. When Momoko saw her face, she knew that every fear she had was entirely justified.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her cheeks were red, eyes puffed up, lip jutting out. She was frowning, some combination of a pout and a scowl. Momoko didn’t know what to make of it, but she knew one thing: that Tsuruno was very, very unhappy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah…” Momoko said, letting her breath out, lowering her head, closing her eyes, feeling her eyelids throb as they obscured her vision.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… this is still hard for me to say, but… I just really wanted to hang out today. I wanted some alone time with you. I had been really looking forward to that, and… now that we’re alone together, Sayuki’s here with us.” Tsuruno spoke softly, slowly, voice filtering into Momoko’s ears as sweetly as it ever had, her voice cracking in a few places made the pain in Momoko’s chest continue, though it had almost threatened to fade.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but it’s just on my phone. Can’t we like, we can still cuddle while I watch, can’t we?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I mean…” Momoko heard as she felt a warm hand clasping one of hers. Still keeping her eyes closed, she sunk down to the floor, on her knees, holding that hand now in both of her own.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go on. I’m listening.” Momoko said, though despite the promise still had an ear out for SayuSayu’s voice, her singing. She was on a new song now. Cool.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Today was one of those days where I just felt sad. I’ve been really sad, and the only thing keeping me going was the thought of being able to go and cuddle up with you in the movies. I wanted to reserve the two seats in the top corner and just cuddle and kiss and pretend like we were watching the movie the whole time. Doesn’t that sound great?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah, it does sound great, babe… but we can do that for any movie, can’t we?” Momoko asked. Tsuruno’s voice had stabilized a little bit, she noted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I already bought the tickets…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can get us more.” Momoko said, feeling a movement in front of her and more squeaks of her bed. Another source of warmth appearing next to her, exposed elbow rubbed up against more skin. Maybe a leg, Momoko thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Momo… I really wanted to pay for us this time. I don’t have a lot of money, but I saved up and got us tickets ahead of time. And… I just don’t want us to miss it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, I really appreciate it, baby.” Momoko said, standing up before finally opening her eyes. When she looked down, she saw Tsuruno’s face pouting up at her, cheeks puffed out, bottom lip definitely curled around itself. Momoko couldn’t help but gasp at how cute she was… even if watching this SayuSayu concert was important to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She brought both hands up to caress Tsuruno’s cheeks, leaning in to give her a kiss. One that wasn’t reciprocated. Momoko’s smile faded immediately, concern dashing across her face, furrowing her brow, feeling the wrinkles appear on her skin…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” She asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can we just go? The movie starts in half an hour.” Tsuruno said. Momoko leaned back up, and then looked over to her phone. SayuSayu was still singing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What was she to do? On one hand, the desire to keep watching the concert on her phone was still as strong as ever. Tsuruno was an understanding person, Momoko knew. She could handle skipping out on a movie, especially if Momoko repaid the favor later on. She was pretty laid back. But on the other hand, the desire to please one’s girlfriend isn’t something that ever goes away- Momoko had found. Her heart ached for her, and Momoko could sympathize with how she felt. Seeing her cry was the last thing she wanted to do.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, Momoko looked back to her, stroking underneath one of her eyes with a thumb. She spoke as softly and as sweetly as she could, thinking back to how Mitama handled precarious situations like this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can still go watch a movie, baby. I just…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You just what?” Tsuruno snapped suddenly, that formerly sad-looking face turning fierce in a flash. Momoko’s hands started to shake as she listened to the words Tsuruno was telling her, stomach flipping, breath stopped, looking down at her girlfriend with no idea how to respond to what she was saying. “I’ve been feeling like crap all day and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally </span>
  </em>
  <span>have an outlet to stop feeling so bad all the time! Forgive me for wanting to cuddle up and make out with </span>
  <em>
    <span>my fucking girlfriend </span>
  </em>
  <span>in a movie theater! Sayuki can wait! We </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>went to her concert a few days ago! I brought you to meet her face to face! Please, Momoko! Can we just record that and watch it later?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tsuruno…” Momoko said, holding her mouth open, frantically searching for words that were never to come- at least not before Tsuruno pulled Momoko’s hands away from her cheeks and stood up. A tear ran down one side of her face quickly, dripping off of her chin in record time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened to being there for me? I’m trying to be supportive! I did </span>
  <em>
    <span>so much </span>
  </em>
  <span>for you that day! I went hang out in a crowd full of people I didn’t know and didn’t like to watch my friend sing </span>
  <em>
    <span>all of her songs </span>
  </em>
  <span>that you’ve heard a million times… and I stood there as you made an absolute fool of yourself in front of Sayuki!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I made a fool of myself?” Momoko asked. Despite Tsuruno’s loud, harsh words, she took a step back, body locking up as the memory of her meeting with SayuSayu played through her head several times in the next few seconds.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Momoko, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please! </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’m begging you to just help me here, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>that’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>all you care about? I literally have her phone number, I can ask to hang out whenever, and she’d say yes! And I could bring you! Sayuki’s just another Magical Girl! I’m your girlfriend! I </span>
  <em>
    <span>love you, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Momoko!” Tsuruno was yelling now, holding Momoko’s shoulders, white hot pinpoints digging into her skin, turning it red. It throbbed in pain, but not as much pain as her heart felt. As her entire body tingled. As she listened to the words Tsuruno was saying, all she could think about was the way SayuSayu left the room that day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Had she actually gotten an important text? Or was that a lie?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love you too…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then please </span>
  <em>
    <span>listen to me! I need you right now!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tsuruno said, tears bursting forth past that one, opening the floodgates for a wail that could probably be heard out on the street below them due to the window being open. Her jaw was trembling as she held it open, tears streaming from both eyes, snot dripping from her nose and onto her tongue. And Momoko just stared at her blankly, frozen in place.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wanted to help.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But right now, she was at her wits end. Momoko didn’t think she could help even if she tried.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tsuruno… I’m here. I love you too… I love you so much…” Momoko said, feeling her heart beat faster as she held out a trembling hand to once more caress Tsuruno’s cheek. She shook her head away from her grasp, swatting it away with a quick motion from her own hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then show me, please. I… I… I just need </span>
  <em>
    <span>something!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright… umm…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Forget it. I’m going home. At least my dad cares about me. I never liked that stupid music anyway.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko watched in slow motion as Tsuruno pushed her body away, turning, wiping her face with one of the long sleeves of her black undershirt, and jumped towards the window, leaping out of it onto the ground below without a second thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could only stand there. Silence filled her ears as it rang heavily in her head, a single tear forming as she processed what had just happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just before she sunk to the ground, head in her hands, crying as loudly as she could, feeling her chest sting all the more, throbbing in tune with the beat that didn’t even need to go on anymore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then she heard her phone’s speaker fade back into existence. SayuSayu was still performing in front of that crowd. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was happy. She was probably smiling. Damn, she seemed </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking ecstatic </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko knew she had made her choice, as she listened from the ground, sobbing into the floor, laying on her stomach, entire body too weak to move. She felt as though the only warmth in the world had left her, vanished from the face of the earth in search of a being that could appreciate it better. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Because Momoko knew she regretted her choice. This wasn’t the same as having something that actually made her happy. Her happiness had just fled towards a half-rate Chinese restaurant. Alone. Miserable.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko sat up slowly, her own face probably looking just as pitiful as Tsuruno’s had a moment ago. Her eyes struggled to stay open, twitching to try and stay closed, but as she stared up at the ceiling, Momoko felt the streaks her tears left on her face dry up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even though her tears were gone, the pain in her chest was still there, the miserable warmth in her cheeks, the pin pricks against her fingertips as her hands tingled. That was still there. Momoko knew she would trade all this in just to see Tsuruno’s smiling face again in a heartbeat.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Momoko didn’t know how long she had been laying on the ground crying. Her cheeks stung, her eyes felt painfully dry, and both palms had bloody indentations from where she had dug her fingernails into her palms. It was dark out, her window having been left open from the moment Tsuruno had flown out of it earlier until now. At some point, Momoko knew one of her brothers had come up to call her down for dinner, but she hadn’t responded. It wasn’t like she needed to eat, anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Slowly, she rose, her head pounding, temples begging for a softer surface than her wrists to lay on, her mouth begging for moisture as her tongue clung to the roof of her mouth. Everything hurt. Heart, soul, body, Momoko just wanted some kind of relief. Looking around her room, Momoko knew there wasn’t anything here that could have shown an outsider that she had gotten into a huge fight with her girlfriend.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And it had been over SayuSayu, no less. Momoko groaned as she walked over to her window and closed it with a slam that was far past necessary. Her palms stung from the extra effort, the strain on her forearms causing one of the wounds to open again. The rest had been all scabbed up, her flesh already taking an initiative in healing itself. As it had since she became a Magical Girl, but this time, Momoko almost wanted those wounds to recover slower, as though they were proof of something that she needed a daily reminder of. She looked out the window, down the street in the direction of Banbanzai- the direction she knew Tsuruno had taken off towards- and sighed. The desire to cry was still there, but her tear ducts had long since gone dry, a drought of a sorrow all that remained in her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tsuruno… I love you. I’m so sorry…” Momoko whispered, putting one hand up on the window, pressing it against the cold glass. Her palm stung from where her fingernail-induced wounds touched the glass, a bit of blood present on the see-through surface as she pulled away, the same arc her fingernails made imprinted onto it. Momoko sighed again, turning around.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t even that late, but Momoko crawled into bed all the same, taking one good look at the open window showing her an unobstructed view of the Kamihama twilight- a sight that spoke of an ending age- but Momoko didn’t want it to be over. Another tear rolled down her face as she crawled underneath the sheets, feeling the familiar warm weight press down on her from all sides. She’d prefer it if it was a warm weight pressing down on her from just one side, a much more familiar, much more intimate weight than just a blanket was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko closed her eyes shut, curled up underneath her sheets, gripping her pillow tightly, hugging it with both arms for dear life, and cried.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She cried, it seemed, until the next morning, where the grim orange light of the evening had turned into a shining yellow of the morning. With it should have brought hope for the future, but as Momoko looked out at that open window, seeing the wind blow gently on the edge of her curtains, she could only choke back another outburst of tears with a sigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Uncurling herself, Momoko sprawled out on the bed, her right arm extending past the boundaries of the mattress, knuckles hitting her night stand gently. She rolled over, swallowing, thoughts of the previous day flashing through her mind- what she did, how she did it, what she could have done… all it would have taken was to just watch the replay later… Momoko realized, which only made her frown harder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her phone held no new surprises for her. No text from Tsuruno, no missed calls… no nothing from anybody, save a few notifications from her group text app. Probably about the concert yesterday. Not like Momoko wanted to talk about that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The last thing I wanna talk about…” She muttered, sitting up, looking at the time. It was almost nine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Almost nine!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That meant school had already started! She had missed her alarm! Missed her mom or brothers waking her up!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At least the scramble to get dressed and out the door had made her forget about that beautiful brunette dancing around on the stage of her inner eye for a moment. Even if it was just a moment, it was a reprieve from an awful truth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But once she was out the door, frazzled hair billowing in the wind made by her body, all that hurt came running back to her. The pain in her chest was just as real as it had been last night, the sting of guilt still there. She grimaced, pulling out her phone and, as she sprinted full force towards Kamihama University Affiliated Municipal School, she sent a text, thumbs being pushed just as hard as her legs were.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Hey, I’m so sorry about yesterday. Do you think we can talk about it? Maybe after school or something?’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t a lot, but it was honest, and it was apologetic. Hopefully it would be enough for Tsuruno to listen to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But as she approached the school, clearing the fence in an easy leap, all but rainbow kicking her shoes up into her hands in order to throw them into her locker in her haste, she saw no new text from Tsuruno. And her heart sank once again. Still nothing. Still no response. It had only been a few minutes, sure, but… ugh. Tsuruno was probably in class right now, and it wasn’t fair to get worked up over a lack of a response just yet. It would be fine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko ran down the hallway as fast as she could, arriving at her first-year classroom about halfway into second period, it seemed. Her Japanese teacher was standing at the blackboard, going over some grammar rule or other before he, along with every student sitting down, turned to look at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Miss Togame…” He said, putting his piece of chalk down, dusting it off on his khaki pants. “Stand in the hall for five more minutes. Then enter quietly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes sir.” Momoko said with a huge blush and a deep bow as she took a step backward, sliding the door closed. She leaned against the wall next to the door, once more pulling her phone from her schoolbag. Still nothing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Five minutes of staring at it wouldn’t solve the issue of no red bubble appearing on her screen with word from her girlfriend, either. She entered the classroom quietly as instructed, and sat back down with a sigh, pulling out her notebook.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the class passed slowly, as did the three periods leading up to lunch. Each passed at a slow, agonizing crawl, in between them Momoko still hadn’t gotten a response. She hadn’t packed a lunch of her own, leaving her with nothing to do but leave the classroom for sustenance. Instead of that, though, Momoko found herself drawn towards the staircase, onto the second floor… two rooms down. Tsuruno’s classroom.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko’s eyes brightened when she saw Tsuruno sitting there, chopsticks in hand, eating out of a takeout box from Banbanzai, only to have her dream shattered when Tsuruno pulled out her phone, staring down at it intently. All that nervousness came back to Momoko the moment she saw Tsuruno look away. She knew what she was doing. And she hated it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Tsuruno doesn’t want to see you at the moment.” Amidst the chaos, a girl had appeared directly in front of Momoko where she stood, leaning on the doorframe with one shoulder, arms crossed. She frowned, looking down at her. This short girl had a stern look on her face, her arms folded as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please? I just need a moment with her.” Momoko said, feeling her empty stomach churn with each passing second of silence the girl gave her. Instead of answering vocally, Momoko watched as a boy- taller than her- step next to the girl.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s right. Tsuruno needs some time to herself right now.” He said. Momoko tried to look past him, but as she got up on her toes in order to do so, a third boy- even taller than the second- stood behind both of them, fully blocking her view of her girlfriend with their bodies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just… I just want to apologize…” Momoko said, muttering, feeling her cheeks grow heavy, her eyes beginning to swell with salty moisture. She knew what that meant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And so she left, running back down the hallway towards the stairs, before either Tsuruno or any of her classmates could see her cry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She knew she had messed this up, but for all that to happen? What did Tsuruno say to them? How badly was she feeling? Momoko ran. She ran all the way down the stairs, down another hallway, out the front entrance of the school without so much as changing back into her sneakers. Momoko kept running, trying in desperate effort to ensure physical strain would push out emotional strain in her body.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It didn’t work. A tear leaked out of her eye, trailing horizontally across her cheek as she ran through a grassy section of the rear half of the school yard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Conveniently, a bench sat not too far away from her as she realized running wouldn’t serve her any good. Her heart burned not with exhaustion as she sat, leaning forward, letting her head rest in her hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry. I really am, and I wanna show you, but I don’t know how…” Momoko said, whispering to herself as she let a few sobs escape her body.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The pain wasn’t as fresh as it when was the wound was new. It ached rather than giving her a sharp sting, but present it was all the same. Momoko sobbed into her hands on that hard wooden bench. Alone. Like she deserved to be. She was hungry, stomach growling at her, begging for attention that would never come, not even as the school bell sounded again, signaling the end of the free hour for lunch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko stood up with a groan, walking back slowly to the entrance. Students were filing into the deeper recesses of the building by the time Momoko finally got there. Her inside shoes were wet with dew and a little bit of mud, tracking it inside the otherwise spotless tile floor of the school. She only shrugged at it before following the stragglers down her hallway, arriving at her desk even after her afternoon Math lesson began.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That afternoon, right as the schoolbell rang, Momoko was the first to finish picking up, grabbing her bag and leaving before the sound had faded into memory. Instead of waiting for Tsuruno outside her classroom, Momoko would go to the roof.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And wait.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And wait… and then, after about ten minutes of painstaking waiting, Momoko pulled out her phone- which had still no new text messages- and pressed down hard on Tsuruno’s name, calling her number.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ring… Riiiiing… Riiiiiiiiiing…</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No answer.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hey! This is Tsuruno! I’m really sorry I couldn’t answer my phone in time, I was probably busy! Umm, so if you could just, like, leave me a message that would be great! I’ll call you back later! Thanks, byee!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And a dial tone sounded. Momoko pulled her phone from her face, mashing the red button to hang up before her message could be recorded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t want to send her one sobbing, anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sighing, Momoko stood up from the one bench that she and Tsuruno always ate lunch at, and walked over to the edge of the building, the fence stopping her from peering too far forward. Not that she really needed it there. She could jump up above it and land lightly on her feet four stories below and barely feel a thing. That height gave her what she wanted, though- a bird’s eye view of Kamihama.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was always peaceful up here, even though a tear slowly dripped down her face, evaporating with the heat from her flushed face as she could feel another cry coming on. People were milling about in front of the school, the baseball team was already out on the field, cars drove by on the streets in front of the school, a train ran in the distance- whistle clearly audible despite being so far away. It was beautiful here, so beautiful.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But it was a far less beautiful sight alone. Momoko clutched her shirt hard, trying to grip at her chest, trying to beg the pain to go away. What had started last night was still there, just as strong as it had been as she watched Tsuruno leap from her window.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko sank down slowly, sitting on the hot concrete, hands gripping the links of the chain fence in front of her. The metal strained her joints, knuckles white from the pressure. She felt the wire bend, the fence stretch, the support pole next to her bending towards her a little.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hands released them to find wire bunched up where her hand had been, empty space surrounding it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whoops…” Momoko said, pulling out her phone again. Opening it up, it was hard not to press Tsuruno’s name again, seeing that red lettering at the top of her call screen made her click away, hoping her contact list would hold some wisdom that Tsuruno’s name alone could not.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Who else could she turn to? Who else did she know? Yachiyo and Mifuyu were out of the question. Tsuruno’s dad, maybe… Mitama…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hmm…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko looked down at Mitama’s name, squinting a pair of tears out of her eyes. She had been of help before when Momoko needed advice on anything… and… she did need the help now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She groaned loudly, putting every ounce of focus she had into pressing Mitama’s name in her contact list instead of Tsuruno’s. As much as she might have wanted to text Tsuruno then and there, given that Tsuruno hadn’t reached out to her first, Tsuruno probably needed her space.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Hey’  </span>
  </em>
  <span>Was what Momoko sent to Mitama at first. Just one word, but it had been marked as read almost immediately.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘What’s up?’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>Was the reply. It wasn’t Tsuruno’s usual response to the word, but it would do for now. She sighed as she typed out her query.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Got any slots open for a Coordination right now?’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘You’re giving me such short notice, and I’m rather busy, but I have a five o’clock open for tomorrow~~’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘I’ll pay double. Be there in half an hour.’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>Momoko’s text wasn’t a question. She knew as soon as she thought up the idea to fork over two Grief Seeds instead of one that Mitama would accept, anyway. It wasn’t like she liked having a stash of what were once upon a time Soul Gems in a box at the top of her closet, but she needed them for survival. She would be more than willing to part with two of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘I’ll be there~~~~’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>Mitama’s text came after Momoko had already gotten off of the concrete, ignoring the stinging in her palms that the claw marks had long since been causing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This better be worth it… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Momoko thought to herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>--</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My my, why the long face? Tell me, Momoko, how did your date go?” Mitama stood at the center of her shop, magical lighting filtering from some unknown source, the blue hue of the room keeping it as bright as the sun would in the middle of the day, even as the sun started to set. Momoko had no trouble seeing her friend standing with her hands clasped together in front of her chest, eyes closed, that stupid, miserable smile and that far-too-happy tone. Momoko wanted to spit on the ground for all she cared for that attitude, but would settle for a sneer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t want to know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you two did it again?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If we did I’d be cuddling her instead of pulling you away from Kanagi.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My my, Momoko, so bold of you to assume I was in the act~”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up.” Momoko said, the urge to groan too much to handle. She grunted heavily as she let her body collapse on the couch she had risen from the previous day, clenching her hands together, fingernails digging into her hands at the same spot, reopening many of the still-healing wounds just from a second of pressure. “If I wanted to fuck you you’d already know by now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Touchy~ So what’s got you calling me up so suddenly?” Mitama asked, sitting down in her chair. Even though Momoko was visibly annoyed, jabbing her with insults that Momoko rarely- if ever- threw around so easily with such a scowl on her face. Momoko let out a loud sigh, gritting her teeth as she spoke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tsuruno and I got into a fight after I left here yesterday.” At this, Mitama gasped, putting a hand over her dropped jaw as she let the silence fill the air for a moment. Silence that Momoko was very uncomfortable with, letting out another groan just to fill it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh no, I’m so sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be. It was…” Momoko closed her eyes, sighing heavily, wincing as she squeezed down with her fingernails even harder. Her knuckles were probably white, her wrists dripping red. Mitama might have noticed. She might not. “It was all my fault.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened? You can talk about it if you need to.” Momoko heard, so she nodded, unclenched her hands, feeling each joint creak as she straightened out her fingers. The pain was still present in her palms as she held them out in front of her, letting blood drip onto the ground. Momoko sat leaning forward, elbows on her knees, looking over at Mitama with a distraught expression.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So… remember when I said me and Tsuruno had a date? Well… as I was getting ready my phone got a notification. She looked at it and showed it to me. My Idol tracker app had a new SayuSayu group chat appear. She was doing a concert in Daito Ward today, a pop-up. So like, I turned it on and started watching. And… Tsuruno…” Momoko’s voice went from irritated to melancholic to a squeaky sad as she stopped, feeling her throat choke on nothing, sitting there with her mouth held open, looking for the words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She got mad at you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To say the least. So… I didn’t know this before we started dating, but… I think Tsuruno’s depressed. She says she has days where she’s just really sad and doesn’t know why. I don’t know what else that could be.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does she take medication for it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No.” Momoko shook her head. “I wish she would, but even if she knew it was something that you could like, treat with a pill or something, she wouldn’t be able to afford it. And she wouldn’t let me buy it for her, either.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you know my pain, then?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah… and it sucks. I haven’t talked to her about it. I’d love for her to see a doctor, but… where was I going with this? Right. Anyway, so she got mad at me, went from like, zero to sixty in four seconds when I said I wanted to postpone our date. She bought those tickets. She wanted to treat me… and I trampled on that. I told her it wasn’t important… I didn’t mean to invalidate her hard work like that. I just… I…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You were selfish?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jeez, Mitama, thanks for calling me out.” Momoko said, looking up at Mitama, her usual lackadaisical smile gone, an expression of rare, genuine concern in its place. Momoko could smile at least a little at that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No problem~” And just like that, it was gone. Momoko chuckled, shaking her head, but despite the small amount of happiness she had found at her own expense, the sight of Tsuruno jumping out the window flashed in her head again, and Momoko remembered why she was here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love her, Mitama. And she… she probably loves me more than I love her. And I showed it today, I really did.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Momoko…” Mitama said. Momoko just looked at the ground, at the few drops of blood that had actually fallen from her open wounds- making a note to offer to clean that later. She heard footsteps though not Mitama’s rise from the chair, and a pull of gravity to her right, feeling the cushion next to her sink down, and then a hand placed on her shoulder lightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why am I such an idiot?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not an idiot. We all make mistakes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I chose my favorite Idol over my girlfriend. And to make matters worse, Tsuruno’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>friends </span>
  </em>
  <span>with her. SayuSayu called Tsuruno her </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend </span>
  </em>
  <span>when we met. I did the same crap to her that Yachiyo and Mifuyu did, exactly what I promised myself I would never do!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They broke up, didn’t they?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yachiyo and Mifuyu?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably. I haven’t talked to either of them. That’s not important right now, though, Mitama…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry. So…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So I messed everything up today, that’s what!” Momoko said, her chest burning, an intense regret bubbling to the surface that had been brewing ever since Tsuruno left her alone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can fix this. I know you can. It’s not that bad. I remember the first time Kanagi and I got into a fight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ehehehehe~~~”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mitama…” Momoko groaned, rolling her eyes. “Was it something pervy?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I maaaaaayy have wanted Kanagi to roleplay a maid in bed one night…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, that probably went over great.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was the first time I ever made a girl sad. I didn’t know how to handle it. I felt awful.” Mitama said. All the anger Momoko felt vanished at those words. Mitama? Being? Serious?? Momoko could hardly believe her ears, scoffing in disbelief as she picked her head up to look at her. Her back still ached from leaning over so fiercely, craning her neck to look at that silver hair gleaming in the blue light.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I feel pretty dang terrible right now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Enough to cut yourself?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was an accident. Long fingernails…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cut those.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to sleep with Tsuruno again. You probably poked her with those, and that hurts.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… oops.” Momoko cursed her past self, wishing she had thought of that before. Making a mental note to look at the length of Tsuruno’s nails later, she straightened out her back, sitting up a little higher.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You do want to make this right, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would you promise her never to hurt her again?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Obviously.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then tonight’s on me. I have a certain Coordination in mind, if you’d like to try it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s the range of your personal magic?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just what I can touch with my hands.” Momoko said, feeling most of the pain in her chest dissipate. Not for Mitama’s offer to waive her fee this time, but for the fact that she had the woman’s support in this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko knew she would get through this. And together, she and Tsuruno would grow stronger and closer together than ever before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would you like to change that? I can make it go ten feet around you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please. That would help me fix this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko knew it would. It better.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Or else…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko wasn’t going to think about the alternative.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Two days had passed since Momoko had her impromptu adjustment session. Two long, agonizing days without Tsuruno. She wasn’t responding to Momoko’s texts or calls, and the one time Momoko dared to try and visit her in class in between periods, she was told she wasn’t welcome by a few others, pushing her away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko was at her wits end. Calls wouldn’t work, texts wouldn’t work, visiting her in person wouldn’t work. The only thing that she could think of- after wracking her brain for hours- was asking Tsuruno’s father for help.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that was only after asking her mother for advice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you speak with her father?” Momoko’s mother said. They were sitting in Momoko’s room- daughter on the bed, mother on the desk chair, facing one another. The room had gotten rather dirty recently, contrary to Momoko’s usual pride in her cleanliness. Her bed unmade, clothes scattered around the floor, an empty can of coffee from the walk home from school that day. It looked a lot like Tsuruno’s room, Momoko thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suppose I could.” Momoko said, nodding a little. Those words had been the only thing to bring a smile to her face that day- however small. Momoko looked back up at her mother’s concerned, yet smiling face. She gripped her own ankles with her hands, knuckles white, a certain head of auburn hair dancing in front of her. That smile grew wider. The girl faded from view, leaving Momoko face to face with her mother again. She nodded. “The only thing is, Banbanzai is having its dinner rush right now. They’ve been getting busier recently, so…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Momoko?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you hungry?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t dinner in the oven?” Momoko asked, tilting her head to one side, feeling some of her hair fall past her shoulder to rest in her lap now. Absentmindedly, she grabbed at a strand, twirling it in between her fingers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t we have a girl’s night out? I’ll tell your father to eat with the boys. What do you say?” Momoko’s mother asked, watching as her daughter’s face went from an inquisitive, melancholic look to a wide smile and a nod, jumping out of her seat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll talk to him with me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, dearie.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh tThank you, thank you, thank you mom!” Momoko said, elation seeping into every word more and more as she threw her arms around her mother’s neck, squeezing it tightly. She felt hands patting her own back softly, a chuckle in her left ear as she held on for dear life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m your mother, I love you. I hate seeing you like this. And there’s a way I can help. So I want to.” She said as Momoko pulled away slowly, still smiling as she nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. And… once this is all over, do you think it would be okay if we tell dad and the boys about us? About… you know… my </span>
  <em>
    <span>girlfriend? </span>
  </em>
  <span>I don’t want to keep pretending it’s just another sleepover for their sake.” Momoko said, her excited tone shifting into a nervous one. Her mother only chuckled as Momoko’s hands fell back to her side, already striding across the room to pick out a change of clothes for the evening.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your father already knows, dearie.” Her mother said, and Momoko felt her stomach drop as she turned around, hair once more getting whiplash from the sudden motion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He does?” She asked, feeling her heart threatening to pound out of her chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s not some dullard, Momoko. He’s noticed how you talk about her, how often she’s here, how often you’re there. I told him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A-and…?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And he feels the same I do. If you’re happy, he’s happy, Momoko.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko felt her heart soar, the beating no longer fearful and ominous, turning into something beautiful and hopeful, the dull afternoon sky pouring in from the window- which she had left open and unlocked as much as possible now- hardly reflected her new thoughts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I…” Despite all her excitement, though, Momoko could only hold a shirt close to her chest, hugging it for a warmth that wasn’t there as she basked in the apparent approval of a father who was a flight of stairs and two rooms away. “I’ll have to thank him later.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take your time. I’ll be downstairs, I’ve got to ready myself, as well. I’ll hurry, but take your time! We’ll leave when you’re ready and not a moment after!” Her mother said, standing up. After pushing Momoko’s desk chair back into its rightful spot, she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A moment passed. Silence reigned. Then a cicada chirped from somewhere outside her window and Momoko felt the curse lifted, squealing loudly with delight, dancing into the center of the room, nearly tripping twice over discarded clothing, to hold that shirt even closer, burying her face in it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>--</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Table for two, please?” Momoko’s mother asked the girl working at the front. Momoko recognized her almost immediately. Even though she had never heard the girl’s voice before, she had seen her here once, a couple days ago. Once more dressed in that Banbanzai-branded apron Momoko had seen Tsuruno dressed in so often as well, she nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course. Right this way, please.” She said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Akira?” Momoko asked just as the girl turned around to show them into the restaurant. The girl froze, flinched a little, and turned around slowly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-yes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Remember me?” Momoko asked in as sweet a voice as she could muster- which, when the possibility of Tsuruno not wanting to speak with her even after her father pleaded with her was very real in her mind- wasn’t all that cute.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah… you’re… Momoka, right? Tsuruno’s friend?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Something like that.” Momoko said, ignoring the slight mistake in her name. Akira motioned for them to follow with one hand, starting off towards a table closer to the kitchen. They arrived, and Akira pulled out two chairs on opposite ends of the table. “How’s she doing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t seen her today. Her father says she’s busy with a school project.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko couldn’t help but smile a little at that, looking down at the bare wooden table, eyelashes fluttering. It was so much like Tsuruno’s father to lie about that kind of thing for his daughter’s sake. She was probably miserable up there, and as much as Momoko wanted to, she couldn’t bring herself to opening that door in the corner of the room and climbing the steps up to her room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, okay.” Momoko said. Akira pulled a small pad of paper out of the apron pocket, a pen in hand already.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I get you anything to drink?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Water is fine.” Momoko said, looking at Akira for a moment before turning to her mother.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What teas do you have?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akira rattled off a surprisingly impressive selection seemingly from memory. Momoko was only paying half-attention to her mother as she selected one, watching intently with eyes slightly squinted as Akira wrote down their selections. As she turned to leave, Momoko quickly grabbed her elbow, causing Akira to spin back around.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, one favor though?” Momoko asked. Akira nodded and tugged her elbow out of Momoko’s grip.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure. What is it?” She asks back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you tell the old man we want to talk to him?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akira nodded, walking back towards the kitchen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know her?” Momoko’s mother asked after Akira walked past the curtain separating the kitchen from the dining area.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She just works here. I’ve seen her a couple times before.” Momoko said shrugging, absentmindedly eyeing the door that led up to the second floor apartment. Fortunately, she had thought to take the initiative and sit down in the chair facing that direction. Having to crane her neck and back in order to accomplish what she could have done just fine by simply leaning forward would be an exercise in frustration.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see. She seems nice.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I haven’t really talked to her ever. Tsuruno seems to like her, though.” Momoko said, that worried look turning into something of a grin as she saw the curtains in the doorframe shift again. Akira walked out, two cups on a tray headed towards them, but towering above her was a man leaning out from the curtain, waving at her enthusiastically.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko waved him over. And over he came.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here you go.” Akira said, placing down first Momoko’s glass of water, and then the teacup and saucer for her mother. “Do you need anything else?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I’m ready to order. Mom?” Momoko asked, shaking her head, glance turning back to behind Akira, where Tsuruno’s father now stood, hands on his hips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll still need another moment. It’s been a while since I’ve had this kind of food, would you mind if I looked at the menu a bit longer?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course.” Akira said, bowing. She turned away, jumping again as she saw her employer outside of the kitchen. “Excuse me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He only laughed as Akira walked away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Momoko…” He said, sighing as he looked down at her. Momoko gulped, feeling all that worry return in a flash. He knew what had happened, probably. The hope now was that he would listen to her plight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“H-hi…” She said, looking down, blushing, finding the rippling in her cup of water most interesting indeed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry about what happened.” He said, as though he knew exactly why Momoko was here. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, though.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, me too. It’s all my fault… umm…” Hands glowed orange under the table before Momoko focused a little harder. The aura around her hands grew larger and larger, enveloping first her body, then the table and its surroundings, the whole bottom half of the restaurant seemingly caught up in that orange glow. Momoko looked up at the ceiling, bidding that orange sphere to rise. It did, poking the peak through the ceiling before it would go no further. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That would have to do, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Momoko thought as she looked back up Tsuruno’s father, the necessary bravery to hold her neck up at that angle well beyond a given after how much of that airborne courage she had just breathed in.. “It really is all my fault. How is she doing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She hasn’t been well the last couple of days. I offered to call you, but she insists on not seeing you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Even now? I want to talk to her…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see what I can do, okay?” He said, and Momoko nodded, lowering her head again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” It would have to do for now, she knew.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll pull through, Momoko! She likes you! You’re good for her!” Tsuruno’s father said, slapping her on the back twice before walking away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When I’m not being selfish…” Momoko muttered under her breath, watching as he too returned to his duties.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, don’t be like that, Momoko.” Her mother said, reaching across the table to pat her arm a few times. Momoko shot a smile at her, forcing a chuckle out of her throat in hopes that it would make the grin look a little more convincing. Despite all her magically-induced courage, that was the best she could manage.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But she was here. And she had her new tool, thanks to Mitama. It would probably be enough to reach her, even if it was only a little. Hopefully at least some of it did, if she was even up there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t help it. I got us into this mess. What if she doesn’t want to talk to me anymore? What if…” Momoko stopped herself mid-sentence, not wanting to think about the alternative that flashed through her mind. Nope. They weren’t gonna </span>
  <em>
    <span>break up </span>
  </em>
  <span>or anything. Not over such a petty squabble. Not if Momoko had anything to say about it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nonsense, Momoko. She’s a sweet girl, she can forgive you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think so. But what if I do something like this in the future?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you love her?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I…” Momoko sat up, her chair scooting back from the force of her body hitting the back of the chair. Eyes wide, face white again, Momoko froze, clenching her fists under the table. She nodded. “Yeah, I do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her mother smiled. Momoko knew she had never admitted that to anybody in her family before. That smile washed away all her worries, her hands clenched in celebration rather than fear, though they weren’t clenched for long.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Those wounds from her fingernails hadn’t gone away overnight. So as she celebrated internally, Momoko hissed, shaking her hands in hopes that that would cause the pain to stop.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” Momoko’s mother asked her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing. I’m fine. I just… cut my hands on accident.” She said. It was technically the truth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let me see.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No.” Momoko said, surprising herself with how forceful the defiance had been from her mouth. As she pulled her chair back in, she shook her head. “I mean, sorry. It’s no big deal. I’m fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just… I’m okay, alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tone in Momoko’s mother’s voice made her look down at her hands, palms facing up as they sat underneath the table on her lap. Fingers shaking, four scabs in half-moons still present, though were healing quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please don’t freak out, okay?” Momoko asked, leaning forward, hands balled up into fists, this time careful to not curl her third knuckles. When Momoko’s mother nodded, she twisted her wrists and uncurled her fingers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And her mother gasped.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Momoko…” She said, slowly moving her hands across the table to hold those of her daughter gingerly in her own. Momoko could only keep her fingers open for a few seconds before lightly shutting them again, concealing her shame. “What happened?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… I cried a lot that night. I’m sure the boys told you…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They did, but… honey, if it was this bad, you could have told me. I would have held you. I don’t like seeing you beat yourself up like this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was my fault, mom. This is my burden, I didn’t want to worry you with it. But… thanks for helping me fix it.” Momoko said, laughing as she quickly realized that she wouldn’t even have needed her mother’s assistance, had she simply come over here on her own the moment she thought about it. Fortunately for her, her mother had the same idea.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Momoko pulled her hands away slowly, putting them back under the table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll bandage those up later, okay?” Her mother said, to which Momoko nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The meal itself had been a quick affair. After Momoko’s admittance to having cut into her palms with her fingernails, they ordered quickly- Momoko’s mother a plate of vegetable rice with clear soup, Momoko herself the dumplings she liked so much. They reminded her of Tsuruno by now, and in a moment such as this, she felt that was necessary.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Akira cleared their plates once they were done- both ladies having eaten their fill- as Momoko’s mother stood up, taking the ticket over to the counter. Momoko watched as she talked with Akira, words that she could faintly hear since she was well within earshot now that the dining hall of Banbanzai had cleared itself out a little. They were eating for free- Tsuruno’s father’s insistence, apparently. That was nice of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“H-hello? Umm…” A feminine voice broke Momoko out of absently staring off at her mother and Akira chitchat. One that Momoko had gotten excited for for a moment, but at the realization that it wasn’t Tsuruno’s voice, was much more subdued even than before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instead of a beautiful young half-Chinese girl standing before her, it was a middle aged Japanese woman with short hair and a nervous smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you…” She continued, Momoko stared blankly at her, failing to understand why she had come to speak with her. “Are you Momoko?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… yeah, that’s me. I’m sorry, do I know you?” This woman was Momoko’s senior and as such deserved respect. Whoever she was, Momoko knew that starting her sentence casually was rude, she hoped she could forgive her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh thank goodness, it is you. Shu! It is her!” She called out behind her, waving to a man sitting a few tables away. He stood up frantically, all but running over, grabbing a chair, and sitting next to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We were hoping you could help us, Momoko. I’m Mel’s father. We recognized you from some of her pictures.” The man explained.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Momoko’s heart dropped.</span>
</p>
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